'Lovely' man who died in lake during heatwave may have hit his head 'diving from jetty'

The man was locally named Samir Kaul, 49 - he was with friends when the horror tragedy hit Lake Ballyalla, just north from the town of Ennis, Ireland

The man was named locally Samir Kaul, 49

A man who died after struggling while swimming in a lake during a weekend heatwave may have hit his head while diving from a jetty.

The man, who has been locally named Samir Kaul, 49, was with friends when the horror tragedy struck just after 6.30pm on Saturday at Lake Ballyalla, just north of the town of Ennis, Ireland .

Samir, originally from India and living in Ennis, was due to turn 50 in October.

He reportedly dived into the water but did not resurface, reports the Irish Mirror.

It is understood that a number of young men who saw it diving jumped in and brought it back to shore.

A lifeguard on duty in another part of the lake also helped, while the gardaí, the national ambulance service and the Irish coast guard were all alerted.

Samir (centre) was due to turn 50 in October

Despite the best efforts of a number of people, including the lifeguard, to revive Mr Kaul, he was pronounced dead at the scene, leaving those present at the popular bathing spot in shock.< /p>

Samir, who was a member of the Foundation Ministries Ireland church, has been described as a "charming man who brought joy wherever he went".

The Reverend Albert Chinwe Obadeyi of Foundation Ministries Ireland in Ennis told The Star that the whole community was "deeply saddened and shocked".

“We did not expect such a tragedy. It took us all by surprise,” Reverend Albert said.

"Samir regularly attended our services and he was a lovely man. Everyone enjoyed his presence. After church, when we played music, Samir always danced.

"He brought joy wherever he went. It was a joy to be with him and he had a peaceful presence around him. He would do his best to help in any way. He was well known and very popular. We will do everything we can to help and support his family."

Local Councilor Ann Norton said the tight-knit community of Ennis was also in shock after the tragedy.

"Everyone is shocked and devastated to hear the tragic news," Cllr Norton told The Star.