Family tribute for paddleboarder dad-of-two who drowned during family day out at Crosby beach

The family of a loving dad who sadly drowned during a family day out have paid tribute to the “kind and bubbly” man. Joe Melia took his children to Crosby beach with partner, Demi, on Friday but sadly never returned home.

It is believed that Mr Melia, 37, got into difficulty while on a paddleboard in the nearby marine lake and Merseyside Police received a report of a concern for his safety at around 4.30pm on August 11.

A number of officers and members of the public initially entered the water in an attempt to save him before a more complex search was carried out by a specialist team of divers. The search continued into a fourth day and his body was found at around 1.45pm on Monday (August 14).

In a statement, Mr Melia’s family said: “Joe was a loving dad, partner, son and uncle. He was having a lovely day with his family and friends in the sun celebrating his birthday. Joe was kind and bubbly and would do anything for anyone. We would like to thank everyone for their support but would like time now to process and grieve our loss.”

Chief Superintendent Claire Doyle said on Monday: “It is with great sadness that we can confirm that the body of the man has been recovered from the water. Our sincere condolences go to his family and friends during this tragic time. Our enquiries are ongoing into this incident and I would appeal to anyone who was visiting the lake at the time of the incident to please get in touch if you saw anything.”

Contacting the police: Anyone with information is asked to DM @MerPolCC or @CrimestoppersUK on 0800 555 111 quoting reference 773 of 11 August.