THE BODY of an Irish woman was pulled from a lake in Ireland in the early hours of this morning after she fell overboard during a family holiday.
PSNI officers and other emergency services were called to the scene shortly after 1.20am this morning.
The 35-year-old woman, who was from Donegal, fell as she checked the rope securing the boat to the jetty on Devenish Island, in Lough Erne, Co. Fermanagh.
Police said her children were asleep in the cabin on the boat when the accident happened.
Chief Insp Clive Beatty said police received a 999 call from a "very distressed" male who said his wife had fallen in the water and he was unable to retrieve her.
"He stated that he and his wife and their two children aged 13 and 11 were up on holiday from Donegal for the weekend and had moored for the night on Devenish Island.
"When his wife went to check on the rope securing the boat to the jetty is when she fell in the water.
"When we got the call we rushed to the scene by both land and police boat, and immediately commenced a search operation in the water.
"Unfortunately around 1.54am we recovered a body of a 35-year-old female from the water.
"We tried CPR while transferring her by boat over to the waiting ambulance on the shore, who then continued CPR on the short journey to the hospital but unfortunately at 1.57am her life was tragically pronounced extinct," he said.
"This should have been a very pleasant family holiday," Chief Insp Beatty said. "But it's turned into a very tragic event."
Inspector Gavin Sterling said: “An investigation into the circumstances is now underway and a post mortem examination is expected to be carried out.
Local police would extend their sympathies to the family and would offer thanks to all of the agencies involved in the overnight operation."
