Golf ball diver dies in Templepatrick lake

The body of a man, understood to be in his 50s, has been recovered from a lake at a golf course in Templepatrick, County Antrim.

It happened at about 14:00 BST on Tuesday on the Hilton hotel grounds.

Two men had been diving for golf balls in the lake, but emergency services were called when only one man resurfaced, BBC News NI understands.

Police, ambulance and fire crews attended the incident, but no one was taken from the scene.

Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) Alderman Paul Michael told BBC News NI it was "an absolute tragedy".

"My thoughts and prayers are with the man's family. It is a tragic situation. Not one we have ever heard before," he said.

"The community is in total shock. This is such a peaceful and tranquil part of the world and people just cannot believe it."

BBC News NI reporter Kevin Sharkey, at the scene, said it is understood the man who died was in the grounds of the hotel with a close relative yesterday.

They provided a service by which they retrieved golf balls from the water and then sold them back to the hotel, he added.

A spokesperson said the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) dispatched an emergency crew, its hazardous area response team crew and an ambulance officer to the scene.

The NIAS confirmed no one was taken from the scene.

Sean McCarry, regional commander of the community rescue service, said the man had "everything that was required" for him to perform the task he was doing.

"It was evident that they had already recovered some golf balls from the lake because there were a couple of bags of golf balls at the edge of the lake," he said.

"So they had been fairly successful in the job they were doing up to that point."

A spokesperson for Hilton Belfast Templepatrick Golf and Country Club said: "We were very saddened to learn of the fatality in our grounds and we assisted the emergency services, when needed, yesterday.

"Our thoughts are with the bereaved family at this difficult time."