A British tourist has drowned after jumping into a lake to cool off during a family holiday in Turkey.

The citizen, aged 43, had been on an organised tour at Manavgat Dam, in Antalya Province, when he plunged into the water to escape the heat.

The Brit entered the water from a pier platform attached to a riverside restaurant. Soon after, he appeared to struggle, disappearing beneath the surface. He make desperate attempts to stay afloat and splashed around to keep his head above the water.

Onlookers saw the man struggling and scrambled to help him. Others rushed to alert authorities.

Officials from Turkey’s Gendarmerie General Command were dispatched to the scene, as well as medics and rescue divers.

The divers entered the water to retrieve the lifeless body which was reported to be 12 metres (around 40ft) beneath the surface. The rescuers battled low visibility due to the murky waters.

Emergency medical staff were waiting on dry land to provide assistance to the Brit but were forced to confirm the loss of life.

The 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 the postmortem will be able to provide further insight into the incident and the timeline of the tragic death.