Salisbury Police say a 70-year-old man drowned in his family’s backyard pool Tuesday night.

Billy Payne, of 238 S. McCoy Road, had been gone from the house for about an hour, his wife told police. She heard the dog barking and believed her husband put the dog out but forgot to let the dog back inside.

She checked the front yard to find his vehicle still there and discovered him in the pool when she checked the backyard. The incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. police said.

Neighbors helped her remove Payne from the pool and tried to resuscitate him, but were unsuccessful.

“He was possibly doing work around the pool,” said Police Capt. Shelia Lingle.

Police did not say whether Payne could swim.