Marine Lake paddleboarder was celebrating birthday - family

Joe Melia was described as a "loving dad, partner, son and uncle" by his family

A paddleboarder who died after getting into difficulty in a lake was celebrating his birthday, his family said.

Joe Melia, 37, went missing at Marine Lake in Waterloo, on Friday afternoon, Merseyside Police said. His body was recovered from the lake on Monday.

His family said he had been "having a lovely day with his family and friends in the sun" before the incident.

They described him as "loving" as well as "kind and bubbly".

His death was not being treated as suspicious, police said.

Paying tribute to Mr Melia, the family said: "Joe was a loving dad, partner, son and uncle.

"Joe was kind and bubbly and would do anything for anyone."

They added: "We would like to thank everyone for their support but would like time now to process and grieve our loss."

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