Man and boy drown in disused quarry

A man has drowned in a vain bid to rescue a teenage boy in a disused quarry in Northern Ireland. Colin Polland is understood to have jumped into the water at the isolated quarry in rural Co Down in a bid to save 15-year-old Kevin O'Hare, who had got into difficulties when swimming in the quarry, but both died. Kevin was from the Dromara area of Co Down. Mr Polland was originally from Northern Ireland but had been living in England. It is understood he was back in the region on holiday. The incident at Paul's Quarry on the outskirts of the seaside village of Annalong happened late on Saturday afternoon.

Emergency crews, including police divers, were involved in an evening-long operation to recover the bodies from the former granite quarry. The tragedy is believed to have unfolded when Kevin got into trouble while swimming in the deep waters of the steep sided quarry and a friend ran to raise the alarm. Mr Polland responded and jumped in in an attempt to rescue him. The site near the Glassdrumman Road is popular with young people wanting to swim on hot days. Police said post mortem examinations would be carried out in due course.

The wider Annalong area has been hit by a series of tragedies in recent years, including the deaths of three men in a light aircraft crash four years ago and the loss of three family members in the sinking of a fishing boat in 2002. South Down MP Margaret Ritchie said she was deeply saddened at the tragic deaths. "Any death is sad, but when deaths happen in tragic circumstances it is very poignant for the family, friends and local community of those who lost their lives," she said.