The family of a teenager whose body was recovered from a river near Retford have paid tribute to him following the conclusion of his inquest.
Specialist teams carried out extensive land and water searches after 19-year-old Jacob Crompton was reported missing on 24 March 2024.
Jacob had been on a night out in Retford town centre but failed to return home.
Sadly, his body was found in the River Idle, north of Retford, on the morning of 27 April 2024.
His family spoke of their ‘immense grief’, describing Jacob as being ‘quite simply a much-loved, amazing son and brother’.
They said: “As well as the trauma of trying to comprehend that we will never see him again, there is the profound pain that we couldn’t properly say goodbye.
“Not being able to see his beautiful face, hold his hand, or kiss his head one last time is torment, but still, we are incredibly thankful Jacob was found and we could at least lay him to rest.
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“Jacob was a hard-working individual, well respected by his colleagues. He was excited for his future after finishing full-time education and had dreams and plans.
“He was working and saving hard, wanting to buy his first car and thinking about his next steps. We mourn that we won’t see him mature, buy his first house, get married, or have children. He would have been the most amazing dad and uncle.”
They added: “Despite our immense grief, we continue to be overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness of so many people who were involved in searching for Jacob.
“The many voluntary search and rescue organisations who came from as far as Scotland, Lancashire, and Warwickshire, our friends and colleagues, Jacob’s many friends and colleagues, and the wider community as a whole.
“We will forever be indebted to these many individuals and groups for their time and efforts, and we wholeheartedly thank them.”
The inquest into Jacob’s death was held at Nottingham Coroner’s Court and concluded yesterday (Monday 16 March).
Assistant Coroner Nathanael Hartley delivered an open verdict.
