Ambleside river death of Simon Martindale 'tragic accident'

The A6 in Carlisle was one of the roads affected

The death of a man who was swept away in a Cumbrian river was a "tragic accident", police say.

Simon Martindale, 48, from Lancaster, was recovered from the River Rothay, Ambleside, on Monday. He had been spotted in the water with a dog.

Strong winds in the county left more than 1,100 homes without power during Tuesday evening.

Electricity North West said approximately 900 properties in Silloth and 200 in Aspatria were affected.

A number of properties in Whitehaven were flooded, with the water reported to be 4ft (1.2m) deep in some areas.

Mr Martindale, from Hest Bank, was seen in the river at about 14:25 GMT on Monday, Cumbria Police said.

'Very challenging night'

"His body was found at 15:30," a spokesman said.

"The dog managed to get out of the water. Officers are not treating this as suspicious, but as a tragic accident."

Earlier, Adrian Holme, from Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, described Monday as a "very challenging night" for fire crews after receiving about 40 calls.

"Numerous homes were flooded, though many were saved by fire crews pumping and diverting what was mainly surface water," he said.