POLICE have tonight confirmed that a 28-year-old man has died in hospital after being pulled from the water of a Hampshire country park.

The man was rescued from the boating lake in Lakeside Country Park in Eastleigh this afternoon after a two hour operation involving police, fire and paramedics.

Earlier this evening there were confusing reports from Hampshire Constabulary, who initially announced the man had died shortly before 7pm.

That information was later retracted by the force when it became apparent that doctors were still fighting to save his life at Southampton General Hospital.

But shortly before 9pm tonight a Hampshire Constabulary spokesperson confirmed that the man has since died.

As reported throughout today, the drama unfolded at the Southampton Road park at 12.30pm following a 999 call reporting that a man was in the water and in serious trouble.

The police helicopter was called in to help with the rescue, which finally drew to an end at around 2.30pm when the man was recovered and rushed to hospital by ambulance.