The death of a man who became trapped in an indoor adventure cave has ‘shocked’ and ‘saddened’ the staff who work there.

Carl O’Keeffe, 49, from Lancaster, was rescued from the Kong Adventure Centre in Keswick, on Saturday, April 22, after reportedly becoming stuck.

Staff at the centre were unable to pull him out and emergency services were called to the scene. He was rescued more than four hours later and was taken to the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle with crush injuries.

But his ‘heartbroken’ family confirmed that the father-of-three died from his injuries at 3pm on Sunday, April 30.

A statement from Kong Adventure Keswick said: “All the staff at Kong are shocked and saddened to hear this terrible news. Our thoughts at this time are with the family, friends and everyone involved.”

In a tribute to Mr O’Keefe, his family said: "Carl was a devoted parent and he will leave a huge hole in their lives.

"He was a strong advocate for the neurodiverse community. He taught people to learn what adjustments they needed in life and to not only accept them but to live them.

"He was often seen in dark glasses and a fedora hat as he was photophobic. He had a brilliant mind and was in the process of applying to start an astrophysics PHD.

"He was fascinated by solar storms and had been predicting the one that happened this week while he slept. He spent years having the NASA Hubble photos tattooed onto his arm."

A spokesperson for Cumberland Council said: "We have been notified of an incident that took place at the Kong Adventure Centre, Keswick, and are investigating the matter, as the regulating body."