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County Armagh: Man drowns in Bessbrook flag incident County Armagh: Man drowns in Bessbrook flag incident
(about 9 hours later)
A 68-year-old man has drowned in an incident at a lake in County Armagh.A 68-year-old man has drowned in an incident at a lake in County Armagh.
The man, named locally as Oswald 'Ossie' Bradley was swimming to an island in Bessbrook Pond to remove two tricolours hanging from trees. The man, named locally as Oswald 'Ossie' Bradley, was swimming to an island in Bessbrook Pond to remove two Irish tricolour flags from trees.
It is claimed Mr Bradley intended to replace them with a union flag when he got into difficulties. Police are not treating the death as suspicious.It is claimed Mr Bradley intended to replace them with a union flag when he got into difficulties. Police are not treating the death as suspicious.
Sinn Féin MLA Mickey Brady last week called for the removal of the flags after they appeared on the island.Sinn Féin MLA Mickey Brady last week called for the removal of the flags after they appeared on the island.
A teenaged boy managed to bring the Mr Bradley back to the lake bank at about 5:00 BST on Monday where attempts were made to resuscitate him. 'Devastating news'
Emergency services took him to Daisy Hospital where it was announced that he had died. A teenage boy managed to bring Mr Bradley ashore at about 17:00 BST on Monday where attempts were made to resuscitate him.
Mr Brady said last week that the flags could be seen as intimidating by Protestant residents in Bessbrook village. Emergency services took him to Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry, about four miles away, where it was announced that he had died.
He said the flags could be considered by some as "overtly sectarian, intimidating and threatening". Ulster Unionist MLA Danny Kennedy said the death was devastating news for the man's family and the village of Bessbrook.
"The issue is one that is causing contention because obviously, in Bessbrook particularly, there is a mixed community," he said.
"I think you have to respect the culture and nature of the people who live in that area."
Ulster Unionist MLA Danny Kenney said the death was devastating news for the man's family and the village of Bessbrook.
"This is a very tragic outcome to controversies surrounding flags in this village," Mr Kennedy said."This is a very tragic outcome to controversies surrounding flags in this village," Mr Kennedy said.
"This is too high a price for any family and community to pay."This is too high a price for any family and community to pay.
"The entire Bessbrook community will join with me in showing our sympathy and support for the whole Family circle. "The entire Bessbrook community will join with me in showing our sympathy and support for the whole family circle.
"He was highly respected and liked within the Bessbrook community. I counted him as a personal friend and I am deeply upset by his untimely and tragic death.""He was highly respected and liked within the Bessbrook community. I counted him as a personal friend and I am deeply upset by his untimely and tragic death."
SDLP Councillor John Feehan said: "A local family is grieving this evening and we would like to express our condolences for their loss." Dominic Bradley of the nationalist SDLP, who knows the family, said the village was in shock.
"I think the action that he undertook yesterday was probably uncharacteristic of him, from what I hear from friends of his," said the assembly member.
"Bessbrook is a mixed community, Catholics and Protestants live side-by-side and, generally speaking down through the years, community relations have been very good.
"I believe some local councillors and the police have arranged for the flags to be removed."
Last week, Mickey Brady of Sinn Féin said last the flags could be seen as intimidating by Protestant residents in the village.
He said the flags could be considered by some as "overtly sectarian, intimidating and threatening".
"The issue is one that is causing contention because obviously, in Bessbrook particularly, there is a mixed community," he said.
"I think you have to respect the culture and nature of the people who live in that area."
Mr Brady said on Monday that the "community was in shock".