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Ben Saunders, who won the first season of The Voice of Holland in 2011, has passed away at the age of 43.
Saunders was found dead on Tuesday, September 15, at the Rijkerswoerdse Plassen, a popular recreational lake, located in Elst on the border of Arnhem South in the Netherlands.
According to the local media, the cause of death has yet to be revealed.
In an email to PEOPLE on Wednesday, September 16, the Police Unit East Netherlands stated, "We can confirm that a body was found yesterday at a recreational lake of Arnhem and that police have ruled out foul play. We do not release or comment on personal details."
Ben Saunders' brother pens emotional message after his death
Following the heartbreaking confirmation, Saunders' brother, Dean Saunders, paid an emotional tribute to the late singer.
Turning to his Instagram, he penned, "My dear little brother passed away today… I have never felt pain like this before… what a terrible day for all of us… We have to learn to live with this, and I hope it is treated with respect..."
"Ben had a beautiful family and relatives who love him dearly—and I always will, too… Ben is in my heart, and he will stay there forever," he concluded in the post, translated from Dutch.
Dean Saunders won the Netherlands version of the reality show Popstars in 2011, a day after Ben won the country's version of The Voice.
The Voice of Holland, the original iteration of The Voice franchise, first premiered in 2010, with the show going on to spawn over 150 adaptations of the talent show around the world.
Marco Borsato pays tribute to Ben Saunders
Former The Voice of Holland coach Marco Borsato also paid tribute to Ben Saunders on Instagram, sharing a clip of him singing a cover of Borsato's song, Dochters, which translates to "Daughters".
He then shared a photo on Instagram of the pair together onstage, writing in the translated caption, "Dear, special man—my heart is weeping!"
"I cannot find words for the void you leave behind. Dear Janita, friends, and family: wishing you so much strength as you cope with this immense loss," Borsato added, referring to Ben's fiancée, adding three more broken-hearted emojis.
Ben, who also participated in the Dutch SBS talent show Avastars in 2023, had recently moved to a trailer park in Arnhem.
