Ben Saunders, first ever winner of ‘The Voice' found dead aged 43 in a recreational lake

Singer Ben Saunders, who was the first person in the world to be crowned champion on the singing reality tv show "The Voice," was found dead in a recreational lake near the city of Arnhem in the Netherlands. He was 43-years-old.

Authorities in the Netherlands announced that they had recovered the body of Ben Saunders from Rijkerswoerdse Plassen approximately 2 hours into an extensive search operation on Tuesday.

Mr. Saunders was reported missing earlier on Tuesday. Emergency services in the area received a report that someone had gone swimming or entered the water and did not resurface. A multi-faceted response ensued with multiple police officers, divers, helicopters, search dogs and numerous rescue boats responding to the scene.

According to officials, Saunders' body was located and recovered at approximately 12:20 pm.

Police investigators said that there were no signs of foul play, adding that further information about how Saunders met his demise will be released publicly once available.

After confirming his death via social media platform Instagram, Dean Saunders posted an emotional message expressing grief over the loss of his younger brother stating that "today my little brother passed away," adding that he had never experienced such pain before.

Saunders first gained international attention through appearing on the original season of The Voice of Holland which aired in 2010. In January 2011, Saunders captured the top prize with a majority of the votes from viewers totaling nearly 60%.