A family has paid tribute to a grandfather who was ‘loved by everyone’ after he died from a sudden heart attack at Rivington Pike.

Mark Sweeney had just finished a bike ride with his best friend up to the top of Rivington Pike on Sunday, May 21, when he collapsed, suffering a sudden heart attack.

After his collapse, other passers-by came forward, including nurses, who did what they could to save Mark while waiting for emergency services.

Despite everyone’s best efforts, Mark did not make it.

Mark was an adored husband to Wendy, idolised dad to Luke and Lyndsey, beloved grandad to Finley and Amber.

Now, his family has paid tribute to their father and grandfather who was ‘everyone’s rock’.

On behalf of the whole family, Ioana Nistor, partner of Luke, said: “He was loved by everyone.

“He was the kind of person you would crave to be around.

“He had that positivity and loved life so much.

“He had so much to look forward to.

“He was so helpful and would do anything for anyone.

“He would help everyone, he was kind and if you needed something, he would be the first person you would think of.

“He was everybody’s rock.”

Ioana, who lives in Darwen, said that her partner Luke and the rest of the family would like to meet the nurses and passers-by who did everything they could to save Mark’s life.

Ioana said: “Luke knows they did the right thing and tried to help him.

“He would like to speak to them and thank them personally.

“These people are now very important to the family because they were there and we weren’t.

“It’s really good that his best friend was there with him too – someone that was close to him was there in his last moments.”

The day before Mark’s death, the family scattered his brother’s ashes after he died two months earlier.

They had then met up at the Nab in Chorley and spent the rest of the day together as a family.

A fundraiser has been set up in memory of Mark. You can donate here.