CIRENCESTER, UK — The grieving family of Cotswold man Nicholas Bowyer, who died in a diving accident last week, have paid tribute to the son and brother who packed a remarkable number of achievements into his short life. The 24-year-old died on Wednesday, August 12, during a scuba dive in Scapa Flow, Orkney Isles, Scotland. Nicholas' family - father Anthony, mother Pandora and older siblings Jeremy and Alexa, who all live in Cirencester - spoke to the Standard on Tuesday and released a statement. "He was so kind and gentle and he touched the heart of everyone who knew him in so many different ways, no matter what age. "Nicholas was a busy man with an extensive repertoire of interests. He was fastidious about exercise and diet and was a familiar figure at the local gym. "He had travelled extensively, with and without the family, and there was no more enjoyment for him than to be with his friends and family." Nicholas was educated at Farmor's School and Farmor's Sixth Form College in Fairford where he developed a passion for music, playing guitar in the popular local band Sensorium alongside his brother Jeremy on drums. After college he attended The Guitar Institute in London for a year performing with his new group Solace at a number of London clubs and at prestigious events such as GuilFest. He went on to Birmingham University where he studied for an honours degree in English Literature and developed a passion for acting. He starred in several plays at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Last year he began an MA degree course in Psychoanalytic Observational Studies at the Tavistock and Portman in London while working as a residential child care worker at the Cotswold Community in Ashton Keynes. He was due to begin the second year course in September. The trip to Scapa Flow was for Nicholas to follow up his Advanced Open Water Diver qualification with a Dry Suit Diver certificate. He was pulled from the water onto a nearby boat where despite efforts to save him he was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics when they reached the shore. Nicholas, who was three weeks away from his 25th birthday, was diving alongside his father on the sunken German light cruiser SMS Köln when the incident happened. He is now the fifth fatality at the Scapa Flow in two years. The family said of the incident: "Nothing could be done and all attempts to resuscitate him were of no avail. by Andy Woolfoot | 
