Man drowns, man questioned

Police in Northern Ireland are questioning a 26-year-old man after a man drowned in the River Bann at the weekend.

The man who died was Owen McKeown, 21, from Ballymena, County Antrim.

An eyewitness saw him going into the water close to the Bann Road bridge in Kilrea, County Derry, on Saturday night. His body was found on Sunday.

Parish priest, Father Paddy Delargy, visited the McKeown family and said they were "in a state of shock and grief."

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"They are not exactly sure of the circumstances that led to the death of their son," he said.

Sinn Féin MLA Daithi McKay said those living by the river were "in shock" over the death and added that it was a "sad reminder of how dangerous the River Bann is."

"This incident, whatever the circumstances, is a tragedy and our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the young man who sadly lost his life."

"There still is a lack of clarity as to what happened in this case and anyone who has information relating to this incident should bring that forward."

 

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