A British man has drowned after reportedly jumping into a lake to cool off during scorching 33C temperatures on a family holiday in Turkey.
The 43-year-old tourist had been on an organised tour when he plunged into the water to escape the heat at Manavgat Dam, Antalya province.
The holidaymaker entered the water from a pier platform attached to a riverside restaurant.
According to local media, soon afterwards he appeared to struggle, disappearing beneath the surface despite desperate attempts to stay afloat.
Onlookers scrambled to help him as he splashed around to keep his head above the water. Others rushed to alert authorities.
Officials from Turkey’s Gendarmerie General Command arrived at the scene with medics and rescue workers.
Divers entered the water to retrieve his lifeless body which was reported to be around 40ft beneath the surface. The rescuers battled low visibility due to murky waters.
Emergency medical staff were waiting on dry land to provide assistance but confirmed he died.
His body was sent to the Antalya Forensic Medicine Institute for an autopsy.
It is still currently unclear why the British tourist drowned. It is hoped that a post-mortem examination will be able to provide further details.
Antalya Province, in south-western Turkey, is the centre of the country’s tourism industry and accounts for about 30 per cent of foreign visitors.
Manavgat Dam - with its impressive views - is one of the two built on the river of the same name close to Oymapınar, Güzelyalı and DeÄirmenli villages.
Since 1987, it has been used to generate electricity, irrigation, tourism and fishing.
A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesman told the Standard: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Turkey, and are in touch with local authorities.”
