The grief-stricken mother of a teenager who died after swimming in an abandoned quarry yesterday has issued an emotional warning to others.

Dylan Ramsay, 13, developed breathing difficulties after jumping in the quarry lake.

After losing consciousness, he was pulled to the side of the water by friends.

They alerted emergency services and tried to resuscitate him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

Experts said despite the hot temperatures, such open waters remained very cold and could induce hypothermia.

Dylan’s mum Becky described him as the ‘best son I could ever have wished for’ and said her heart had been left broken and her family incomplete.

And she warned: “As Dylan’s mum, I want people to know that he was a strong lad and a very capable swimmer, despite this he still found himself in trouble and unable to swim a short distance to safety.

“This message is to highlight the dangers of open water and the devastation it can bring to any normal family.”

Dylan was described by neighbours as a polite, cheerful boy who was known for helping his neighbours with odd jobs.

He was also a ‘thrillseeker who lived life to the maximum’, according to his family.

The incident happened after 3pm as he was playing with friends at the Whittle Hill Quarry lake off Hill Top Lane, Whittle-le-Woods.

Dylan, who attended Parklands High School in Chorley, lived at nearby Church Hill with his mum, dad John, younger brothers Joshua and Jack and little sister Annie.

Mrs Ramsay said: “My heart’s broken. I can’t put into words how loved Dylan was to us all.

“I don’t think anyone can understand how much I’ll miss him. I just can’t believe he’s left us.

“Our family is incomplete without him. He will never be forgotten and life will never be the same.

“He enjoyed life to the maximum and was a thrill seeker. He was funny, special and a talented athlete.

“Ask anyone in the village about him: he would be the first to help someone. He wouldn’t need asking.

“He was loved by all his family and friends and was a brilliant big brother to his brothers and sister and a fantastic son.

“We feel totally devastated at the loss of our beautiful son.”

Mrs Ramsay added that in the hour after Dylan’s death, the family received loving tributes by text and email from more than 400 people.

Neighbours in the village were united in their grief and sentiments about the teenager.

Jane Powell, 68, of Chorley Old Road, said: “Dylan was well-mannered, had a sunny, smiling way with him and never caused any trouble.

“Every week he would cut my lawn and do some gardening for me.

“I offered him a bit of pocket money for doing it but he would never take it. That’s what type of lad he was.

“I didn’t sleep last night for thinking about him and I’m praying for his family.”

Linda Stewart, 48, of Church Hill, said: “Everyone around here knew and loved Dylan.

"He would often clean my car and do some gardening. He was a wonderful young man and everyone is grief-stricken that he’s gone at such a terribly young age.”

Whittle Hill Quarry, which has 30ft sheer cliffs on three sides, has been a hot weather spot for youngsters to go swimming for decades.

Last year, a 10-foot fence was erected at the side of Hill Top Lane, but it has since been vandalised with one of the metal posts removed to allow access.

Hill Top Lane resident Dave Clark, said: “There’s sometimes up to 20 or 30 in the water swimming on a hot day.

“It’s a big area and It would be almost impossible to seal off. They would just climb over bushes to get through.”

The site had previously been worked for sandstone to a depth of around 40 metres.

Operations there are currently not permitted and since the suspension of extraction, the site has become flooded.

A 15-year-old boy and a 22-year-old man have drowned in similar circumstances in reservoirs during soaring temperatures in Scotland in the last five days.

A spokesman for ROSPA, said: “More people in the UK are drowned in inland waters such as reservoirs, quarries and locks than any other form of water.

“Incidents like this rise in hotter temperatures and we would advise anyone who wants to swim to use a supervised pool, lido or lifeguarded beach.”

Police said an investigation into Dylan’s death had been opened but there were no suspicious circumstances.

A spokesman for the landowners of the quarry, Ruttle Plant Holdings Ltd said they were aware of the ‘tragic and deeply saddening incident’ but declined to comment further.