THE family of a former Dartmouth fisherman have paid tribute to the 'loveable young man' whose death has left the town shocked.

Jason Marels, 29, had been playing golf with his dad Paul just hours before he died in a fall from a multi-storey car park in Temperance Street, Torquay.

'We had a lovely time and he was happy and cheerful. Three hours later, he was dead,' said Mr Marels.

An inquest into Jason's death has been opened in Torquay.

Mr Marels, a retired policeman, said Jason had been back home living in Townstal Road, Dartmouth, for the last eight months.

'Jason was a personable young man who had some health issues in his life which he completely recovered from and was well known in Dartmouth where he had many friends from his school days and his brief working life,' he said.

'He was a loveable young man who always put others before himself and had a caring nature.

'Jason leaves the warmest memories of a brother and son who was so loved and who will stay forever in his family's hearts.'

Mr Marels said the family had received hundreds of messages of condolence from people in the town.

'The family want to thank all the friends for their kind cards, telephone calls, visits and messages,' he said.

Jason was born in hospital at Plymouth to Susan and Paul Marels. The couple have a second son, Lee, 30, and daughters Gemma, 26, and 14-year-old India.

Jason went to Stoke Fleming Primary School before going to Dartmouth Community College. He left school went he was 15 to start work on crab fishing boats operating out of Dartmouth.

He had to give that up when he was 20 due to ill health. He lived in Dawlish and then Totnes but regularly visited his friends and family in Dartmouth, said Mr Marels.

The funeral service at St Saviour's Church will take place at 2.30pm on Saturday, July 28, followed by interment at Longcross Cemetery, Dartmouth.

The inquest, opened before Torbay Coroner Ian Arrow, was told the cause of Jason's death had been multiple injuries. The coroner was told by coroner's officer Rick Parsons: 'During the evening of Monday, July 9, Jason was found deceased at the base of the multi-storey car park in Temperance Street, Torquay. He had suffered severe injuries which would be consistent with him either falling or jumping from one of the upper levels of the car park.'

He also told the coroner that no note had been found and confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances.