The family of a 14-year-old sea cadet who died after falling from a training ship spoke today of the loss of a "wonderful son".

Jonathan Martin, of Shadoxhurst, Ashford, Kent, fell from the rigging of TS Royalist in Stokes Bay, off Gosport, Hampshire, at about 8.30 p.m. on Sunday. He was recovered by a lifeboat and taken by helicopter to Queen Alexandra Hospital, Cosham, where he was pronounced dead.

His family said in a statement: "Jonathan was a wonderful son and grandson who tragically died while doing something that he loved.

"He was a popular young man who will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.