A 42-YEAR-OLD local man has died after losing his footing and falling into John’s River last night.

Ambulance Control received a call about a man in the river at the walkway opposite the Kingfisher on the Tramore Road at 9.39pm. Gardaí from Waterford Garda Station went to the scene.

Gardaí say the 42-year-old had been drinking with a woman at the walkway beside the river.  He went over to the river, lost his footing and fell in.

Efforts were made by the woman and a passerby to get the man out of river, but their attempts failed.

The body was located in the river face down and fully clothed. Fire units removed the body from the water. Efforts were made to resuscitate the man with a defibrillator, but to no avail. His body removed to the morgue at University Hospital Waterford where he was pronounced dead at 11pm.

Male aged 42 years and from the locality.