A GOLF course worker has been found dead in a pond after getting pinned underneath a lawnmower in a freak accident.

Jay Roush, 64, was found dead at the Eagle Ridge Golf Course in Paris, Illinois, just after midday Friday.

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Jay Roush, 64, was found dead on Friday trapped under a lawnmower in a golf course pondCredit: Facebook
 

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The employee was discovered dead at Eagle Ridge Golf Course in Paris, IllinoisCredit: Eagle Ridge Golf Course
A 911 caller found the 64-year-old unresponsive in the water, trapped under the mower, according to the Edgar County Coroner’s Office.

Police, paramedics and firefighters rushed to help, but Jay was declared at the scene.

He was found in around three feet of water with the zero-turn mower.

Mystery remains as to how Jay ended up in the golf course pond.

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Investigators have determined that another employee had gone to look for Jay after he didn’t answer his phone.

The location of the pond on the 18–hole course is also unknown.

The coroner and the Edgar County Sheriff’s Department are continuing their investigation into the freak accident, with an autopsy set to take place in Springfield, Illinois tomorrow.

Jay was described as being “busy, upbeat, outgoing and sociable”, with “a great (if sometimes ornery) sense of humor”.

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A 911 caller found the 64-year-old unresponsive in the waterCredit: Facebook
 

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Jay is survived by his parents Joyce and Bill and his sister JanCredit: Facebook
He was an avid golfer and softball player, and played in the Eagle Ridge Wednesday night league, with a handicap of 10.

Jay had no children of his own, but is survived by his parents Joyce and Bill, his sister Jan, a niece, a nephew, great–nieces and great–nephews.

He was a lifelong member of Vermilion’s United Methodist Church.

Jay’s funeral is set to take place on Thursday, with family encouraging attendees to wear casual clothes or their Chicago Cubs shirt – his favourite baseball team.

Shelly Gower Andrews, a family member, wrote an emotional tribute to the golf course worker, saying that she “never heard one bad word” about him.

She added: “No one could replace Jay Roush. He will be missed and talked about fondly for years to come.”

Jeff Chambers wrote: “Whether you were a family member, softball buddy, Little Leaguer, soccer player, basketball player, card player, golfer, co–worker, or a member of the church family, he showed just a glimpse of what God’s love looks and feels like.”

Jake Phegley, a friend of Jay’s, added: “Seeing this makes me sad.”

He called the 64-year-old a “staple in the baseball community”, saying Jay had “impacted [his] life on multiple levels”.