Thames drowning: Eyad Al Ryabi 'trying to save friend'

The missing man is believed to have got into difficulty in a stretch of water called Lulle Brook

A man whose body was recovered from the River Thames was trying to save a friend from drowning, a relative said.

Eyad Al Ryabi, 31, from Uxbridge, London, has been locally named as the swimmer found in water in Cookham, Berkshire, on Wednesday.

The father-of-five, who went missing on Tuesday, had been with friends enjoying the weather, his cousin said.

Thames Valley Police said the death was not being treated as suspicious and the victim's next of kin had been informed.

The other man was pulled to safety and taken to hospital where he remains in a serious condition, police said.

Khald Al Riabi said his cousin, originally from south-west Syria, had come to the UK towards the end of last year and had hoped his wife and children could join him.

Mr Al Riabi, from Acton, said the decision to leave his family back in his homeland was "very difficult" for his cousin but he wanted them to have the opportunity of a better life in Britain.

Paying tribute, he said: "That's why he came here. He came here to save his life and his family's life.

"He was looking for an education for his children.

"He was a very good father. He looked after his family."

A second man in his 30s was pulled to safety and taken to hospital

Emergency services were called to Lulle Brook on Tuesday to reports that two men swimming in the water had got into difficulty.

Police said a third man who entered the water to help was unharmed.