A 64-year-old golf course worker has died after being found pinned under a lawn mower in a pond at Eagle Ridge Golf Course in Paris, Illinois. Jay Roush was discovered unresponsive in about three feet of water on Friday at around 12:10pm local time.
Police and firefighters were dispatched after another employee went to search for Roush when he could not be reached by phone. He was declared dead at the scene. The Edgar County Coroner's Office is investigating alongside the sheriff's department, with an autopsy scheduled for Tuesday in Springfield.
Roush, from Vermillion, had worked as an inspector for GE Aerospace in Indiana for over 30 years. He was remembered as an avid golfer and slow-pitch softball player who also coached young athletes in baseball, soccer, and basketball.
Described as a 'busy, upbeat, outgoing and sociable' person, Roush was a member of Vermillion's United Methodist Church. Tributes have poured in, with family member Shelly Gower Andrews stating: 'No one could replace Jay Roush. He will be missed and talked about fondly for years to come.'
