His friends called him 'Smiley' and his mother is still waiting for him to come walking through the door.
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The 15-year-old boy who drowned in the South Dubbo weir on Tuesday was Josh Macfarlane - a "happy-go-lucky kid" who loved fishing and motorbikes.
The tragedy has left his parents, Janelle Macfarlane and Shane Wallace, asking what it will take to avoid another drowning.
"There's only two words I'd like to say - think twice," Mr Wallace said.
"Kids, listen to what your parents say."
He said he hopes the tragedy of their son's drowning would act as a warning and save other lives.
Josh left home on Tuesday afternoon to go fishing with a friend.
Police believe he slipped while trying to walk across the weir.
His friend made it back to the spot where they had left their fishing gear, but Josh wasn't seen again until yesterday morning when his body was recovered from the river just 20m from where he disappeared.
Ms Macfarlane said Josh knew the dangers associated with swimming in the weir because his dad, "his hero", had warned him countless times.
"I would just hate for other people to go through what I'm going through," she said.
"Shane told him, 'don't cross the weir when it's flowing so fast', he knew the dangers but it was just a tragedy.
"Nobody should have to go through this heartache."
The tragedy has not only left his family shattered, but also his friends, including those from Dubbo College South Campus where Josh went to school.
"There were 227 missed calls on his mobile phone yesterday, I've lost count of how many friends he accumulated," Ms Macfarlane said.
"He touched so many lives."
His family described Josh as an "outdoors", infectious teenager who was "always making someone laugh".
His two brothers, aged 10 and 9, were his best mates and he adored his three-year-old sister.
"He loved motorbike riding, loved fishing, his dad was his hero," Ms Macfarlane said.
"He used to go out fishing with his dad and his uncles, and he was always really proud because he was the youngest of the crew.
"He loved life, he lived it to the fullest."
Josh's parents spent most of Tuesday night at the weir.
Ms Macfarlane left briefly to sleep but returned to the site an hour later.
Police divers from Sydney had just arrived into Dubbo when rescue crews recovered the body at 10am.
The case is now before the coroner.
"I want to thank the Volunteer Rescue Squad, police, the ambos, everyone who was down there," Ms Macfarlane said.
"I can't praise them any higher, the communication was great and they were really supportive."
emily.wheeler@ruralpress.com