Man dies after Co Antrim harbour tragedy

A man has died after being pulled from the water in Co Antrim.

Ballycastle and Coleraine Coastguard Rescue Teams, the Coastguard helicopter from Prestwick, Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and PSNI attended the incident in Ballintoy Harbour on Monday.

A PSNI spokesman said: "Police responded to a report in relation to a man in the water in the vicinity of Ballintoy Harbour on Monday evening.

"Police attended the scene, along with other emergency services where, sadly, the man's body was recovered from the water and he was pronounced dead at the scene."

SDLP councillor Margaret Anne McKillop said: "My heart goes out to the man's family and friends who would have been receiving the most devastating news last night.

My thoughts are with them as they deal with this terrible tragedy.

"I would also like to pay tribute to the emergency services who were on the scene on Monday evening. They responded quickly and worked valiantly to try and save this man.

"Our Coastguard teams and lifeboat crews do hugely important work in coastal areas and we would be lost without them.

"The number of recent deaths has been tragic and should be a wake-up call to others of the dangers of water, particularly where there is no lifeguard or other monitoring present.

"Even the most seasoned swimmer can get into difficulty in the wrong conditions and hazards are not always visible before it's too late."

• Jordan Moates gets advice from lifeguards with the RNLI about keeping safe in the water: