Tributes to Ben Quartermaine after Clacton sea death

Ben Quartermaine was to begin motorcycle lessons after his 16th birthday, his family said

The family of a boy who died after getting into difficulty in the sea in Essex have paid tribute to the "happy, loving and independent" teenager.

The body of Ben Quartermaine, 15, was found on Saturday morning after he went missing while swimming with a friend near Clacton Pier on Thursday.

His friend was rescued by a lifeboat crew but Ben's body was not found until a dog-walker spotted him in the sea.

The family said they would be giving funeral donations to the RNLI.

Ben's family said he "lost his life in what can only be described as a terrible accident".

The teenager, who lived in Clacton-on-Sea, was a big motorcycling fan and was planning to start basic training on his 16th birthday so he could ride a moped his family had been restoring as a gift.

"He was a happy, loving and independent boy who would go out of his way to make others laugh and smile," they said in a statement released by Essex Police.

"The RNLI went above and beyond in the search for Ben," the family said.

The cause of death has not yet been determined but is not being treated as suspicious, Essex Police said.

Staff at Clacton Pier tried to help the two boys after the alarm was raised

Search and rescue crews looked for the teenager as light began to fade on Thursday night