DAMIEN BRIANThe mother of teenager Damien Brian, who drowned after going for a swim in a fishing pool, led the heartfelt tributes to him.Damien, aged 18, died on 24 May, 2009, after taking a trip to Goldendale Pool, in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, with a group of about 10 friends.He got into difficulty when he entered the pool, off Reginald Mitchell Way, to cool down in the hot weather. He was pulled from the water at 5pm and later pronounced dead at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire.The former James Brindley Science College pupil's mum, Jackie Machin, said her son would be missed by everyone.She said: "He was a happy lad who would do anything for anyone. I loved him to bits and we are going to miss him a lot."It was a hot day and Damien and his friends had had a couple of beers and decided to have a swim but Damien struggled. His friends couldn't do anything for him. They are all devastated."Dozens of friends and relatives flocked yesterday to lay flowers at the spot where Damien died.Friends described Damien as "a legend" who loved making people laugh and riding his motorbike.Damien's step great-grandmother, Jean Archilletti said: "He was a lovely lad and a pleasure to be around. My grandson phoned to tell me what had happened yesterday and I was broken."Messages have also flooded into the Stoe Sentinel's website. In one, Reece Machin, from Norton Green, said: "I'm going to miss him so much because he was like a brother to me."
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