THE FAMILY of a 15-year-old girl who died after getting into difficulty in water has paid tribute to her ‘personality.’
Abbie Walton passed away near the River Etherow, close to Hodge Lane in Broadbottom, on the evening of Wednesday, June 14.
After the village had held its duck race and barbecue, the body of Abbie – who attended Stalybridge’s Copley Academy – was pulled out after a large response by emergency services.
Despite the best efforts of a medical team, she sadly died, leaving the village in shock.
Now her family has spoken of a girl who was ‘truly beautiful inside and out.’
Abbie’s eldest sister Kylie said: “Abbie was always smiling and rarely upset.
“She’d get so excited to see us and come bouncing through the door to give me and my sons a massive cuddle.
“She was very close with our family, especially our mum.
“Abbie was such a bubbly and polite girl. Truly beautiful inside and out.
“She was always dancing and making videos for TikTok.”
Abbie’s older sisters Claire and Nicola jointly recalled: “Abbie would race around in flip flops to see us and say ‘Hay girl,’ that was her favourite catchphrase.
“She lit up the room when she walked in and whenever a room went quiet, she would let out a random noise and make everyone laugh.
“Abbie was loud, sassy, and always dancing. She loved TikTok and to look her best with fake tan and butterfly lashes.”
Abbie’s older brother Daniel said: “Abbie was so lively; she was definitely the ‘personality’ in the family.
“We used to wind each other up all the time. She was a funny person and didn’t care what anyone thought about her.
“She was close with our family and popular in school. Abbie was looking forward to prom more than anything.
“That’s all she would talk about.”
After hearing the news, Copley Academy said: “Our hearts and thoughts go out to the families, loved ones, friends and local communities affected at this extremely sad time.”