Niall Horan has paid tribute to his former One Direction band member Liam Payne saying he will “cherish every moment” they had.
The ex-One Direction star was enjoying a holiday in Buenos Aires when he tragically fell from the third floor of a hotel.
Liam, who gained fame as one fifth of the globally renowned band, shot to stardom in 2011 after his appearance on The X Factor, where judge Simon Cowell grouped him with Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan.
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In a post on Instagram, Horan wrote: “I’m absolutely devastated about the passing of my amazing friend, Liam. It just doesn’t feel real.
“Liam had an energy for life and a passion for work that was infectious. He was the brightest in every room and always made everyone feel happy and secure.
“All the laughs we had over the years, sometimes about the simplest of things, keep coming to mind through the sadness. We got to live out our wildest dreams together and I will cherish every moment we had forever. The bond and friendship we had doesn’t happen often in a lifetime.
“I feel so fortunate that I got to see him recently. I sadly didn’t know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever. It’s heartbreaking.
“My love and condolences go out to Geoff, Karen, Ruth, Nicola and of course his son Bear. Thank you for everything, Payno. Love you brother.”
Payne died aged 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, this week.
Alberto Crescenti, a spokesperson for the City ambulance service, stated that the victim had sustained “severe injuries which were incompatible with life.”
The local ambulance chief relayed to TN: “At 17.04 through the 911 integrated public safety system, we were alerted of a person who was in an internal courtyard of the management of a south house hotel.”
He continued: “At 17.11 a SAME team arrived and verified the death of this man and later we found out that he was a singer in a musical group. Unfortunately, he had injuries that were incompatible with life, as a result of his fall, so we had to confirm his death, there was no possibility of resuscitation.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk