Image copyright PAcemaker Image caption Police believe the woman may have slipped and fallen off the back of the boat whilst checking its mooring ropes were secured

A woman in her 30s has died on a family holiday after falling overboard from a boat in Lough Erne, County Fermanagh.

Police received a 999 call at about 01:15 BST from a man who said his wife had fallen overboard from a hire boat moored at Devenish Island.

They believe the woman may have slipped as she was securing ropes to a jetty. Her body was recovered before 02:00.

The County Donegal family had rented the boat and two children, aged 13 and 11, were asleep on board at the time.

Image copyright Pacemaker Image caption Lough Erne is a popular tourist destination

An investigation is under way and a post-mortem examination is due to be carried out.

Police believe the woman was not wearing a life jacket.

Lough Erne, which stretches for 55 square miles, is a popular tourist destination with more than 150 islands.

'Dangerous place'

"[The victim's husband] had tried to go into the lough to find his wife, but unfortunately he could not get her," PSNI Ch Insp Clive Beatty told the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme.

After the emergency call was received, two ambulances were dispatched as well as fire service, police and coastguard teams. Police searched the water and her body was recovered.

Image caption Police said the boat was moored at a jetty at the back of Devenish Island

"We performed CPR [cardiopulmonary resuscitation] ourselves and transferred then to the ambulance who continued to conduct CPR until 02:57 when the woman was pronounced deceased at the hospital," said Mr Beatty.

Expressing his condolences to the woman's family, Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP Tom Elliott said Lough Erne was a "dangerous place" and called on people to be careful on the water.