A five-year-old boy who was swept more than four miles down a fast-flowing river in Co Antrim before being pulled out has died in hospital.
A major search was launched after the child fell into the Braid River near Skye Park in Ballymena, Co Antrim, at around 1pm today.
He was pulled out more than 45 minutes later near Tullaghgarley and immediately airlifted to hospital, the Community Rescue Service said.
The PSNI said he died in hospital following the rescue.
Sean McCarry, regional commander of the organisation, said teams had worked closely with the police, fire service and air ambulance during the multi-agency response.
He said: "He got swept away quite fast with it, he was travelling quite a distance."
Mr McCarry said rescuers were "running desperately" after the boy, while a police helicopter observed from above and reported any sightings.
"The police were co-coordinating and telling us where we needed to go to next and we were just trying to get ahead of him in the river," he said.
"Eventually that happened and he was pulled out of the river and put into the air ambulance."
Inspector Shaf Ali of the PSNI said: "I would like to thank everyone involved in the search effort and extend my sincerest condolences to the family at this time."
