A MAN died over the bank holiday weekend when he drowned in a quarry pit on farmland at Blacknest, east of Alton.

The 28-year old, who has not yet been named, was thought by South Central Ambulance Service to have fallen out of a capsized boat into what was described as “deep and extremely cold water”.

South Central Ambulance Service was called to the scene at Oak Tree Farm (light industrial unit) on the Blacknest Road near Binsted at 4.49pm last Saturday following reports that a man had fallen into a pond.

The service responded by sending a road ambulance and the hazardous area response team, while the air ambulance was alerted and flew out from Thruxton.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service was also at the scene, fielding four appliances from Alton, Basingstoke, Fareham and Rushmoor.

According to a hazardous area response team spokesman, the water had been “very deep, too deep for anyone to get to the patient without assistance”.

The man was thought to have been in the water for around an hour before he was hauled out of the water and while paramedics tried to resuscitate him, he was declared dead at the scene at around 6.15pm.

The dead man’s next of-kin have been informed.

The death is not being treated as suspicious, according to Hampshire Police, and a file has been prepared for the coroner.

In the wake of the tragedy, South Central Ambulance Service has issued a reminder to people to take care when venturing into water.

“Even on a hot day this sort of water is very cold and can cause all sorts of unforeseen complications. It was not a safe environment in which to swim.”