Tribute to drowned five-year-old

Mr Howlett "heroically" tried to save his son Jay

A head teacher has paid tribute to a five-year-old boy from Shropshire who drowned with his father in Spain.

Symon Howlett was taking photographs of his two sons in the town of Tossa de Mar, on the Costa Brava, when a large wave knocked the boys off the rocks.

Jay, who died in the incident, was a "happy, lively and bright boy", his head teacher Margaret Malcolm said.

Mr Howlett, 32, of Market Drayton, dived in and saved his son Thomas, 9, but he and Jay were swept out to sea.

Mrs Malcolm, from Market Drayton Infants School, said: "We have not yet been in contact with the family, but we have heard on the news of the death of both Jay and his father.

Symon Howlett managed to save his nine-year-old Thomas

"Everyone here is deeply shocked by this and our thoughts and prayers are with Jay's family.

"We will all miss Jay. We have lost a happy, lively and bright boy."

The pair held on to a buoy but rough seas stopped rescuers reaching them on Wednesday morning.

A coastguard helicopter and lifeboats were deployed to save the father and son whose bodies were later pulled from the water 30m (98ft) from the beach, which is just north of Barcelona.

Mr Howlett's wife, Debbie, saw the tragedy unfold and is being given support by British consular officials.

'Dad heroic'

Eye-witness Ezequiel Mizrahi said he had tried to rescue the pair after pulling on his wetsuit.

"These three people, they were taking pictures and a wave took them into the sea.

"I tried to go for them but the sea was very heavy and I couldn't pass through," he said.

"It's very rare to have the sea like this, when you have a bad sea it's very bad one or two times a year."

An eyewitness, from Long Melford, Suffolk, who did not want to be named, said: "The mother was sitting at the bottom of the stairs which led down to the beach. She looked drained and speechless and she was holding her other son, who had a towel around him.

"The dad was really heroic. If he had lived he would have deserved a medal."

Joe Green, a retired clergyman from Market Drayton, said he was sure the community would rally around the family.

"It (Market Drayton) is very supportive with things like this."

Mrs Howlett's brother, Martin Kiely, told BBC News he wanted to thank everyone for their support after the accident.