AN IRISH TOURIST in his 20s has died while on holiday in Spain.

He died in the swimming pool of the holiday apartments he had checked into with family and friends hours earlier.

The 21-year-old is thought to have drowned after falling into the pool at the tourist complex in the Costa del Sol resort of Torremolinos.

The large group of around 15 people who he flew to Spain with, believed to include his parents as well as other relatives and friends, were still at the apartments called Apartamentos Buensol this morning.

A post-mortem was due to take place at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Malaga.

Emergency services were alerted around 7pm yesterday. A hotel worker is understood to have pulled the tourist out of the water with the help of a receptionist after diving in to rescue him.

Paramedics tried to revive him when they reached the scene but could do nothing to save him.

Police are probing the circumstances surrounding the death but sources today said everything was pointing to a tragic accident in which the holidaymaker fell into the deep end of the swimming pool and was unable to pull himself out.

The complex is a short walk from La Carihuela Beach in Torremolinos and features two pools, one for adults and one for children, as well as a solarium and gardens.

The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed to TheJournal.ie that it is provided consular assistance to the family of the deceased.

- With additional reporting from Catherine Healy