The Northern Echo has apologised “unreservedly” after publishing the obituary of a man who had not died.

The newspaper, based in the north-east of England, said it had withdrawn the obituary of Charlie Donaghy, a lifelong supporter of grassroots sport in the region, and that it was pleased to report he was alive and well.

Donaghy’s family said they were devastated by the inaccuracy of the report. No one from the Echo had been in touch with them before publication to check he had died, they said. “You cannot unhear or unread that your father is dead,” they said.

The Northern Echo said it had been told by three sources that Donaghy had died, but accepted it was wrong.

“We checked with three independent sources, including a representative of at least one of the clubs Mr Donaghy worked with, who all confirmed the information, prior to it being published,” the paper said in a statement.

“We removed the story from our website and social media channels as soon as we were made aware that it was incorrect. We apologise unreservedly for our mistake, and for any understandable distress and devastation that was caused to Mr Donaghy, his family and friends.”

The withdrawn obituary described Donaghy as a local hero of grassroots sport, who would work round-the-clock as a fixture secretary, results organiser, administrator, press officer and fundraiser for numerous sports clubs across County Durham. One of his proudest moments was in 2012 when he was chosen to carry the Olympic torch through Darlington, the report said.

In their statement, the Donaghy family said: “We are devastated by the inaccuracy of this report. This has caused immeasurable distress for my sister as well to many of Dad’s friends and supporters over the years. To allow this to be released onto the internet without checking with our family is unforgivable. Please ensure this never happens to anyone else again as you cannot unhear or unread that your father is dead.”