Grandfather in his 70s who was killed in a work accident on an east Londonderry farm is named
A man in his 70s who died as a result of an accident on a farm has been named.
The victim was Joey Mitchell, understood to be from the local area.
The accident occurred on a farm off the Cullyrammer Road on the far eastern edge of Co Londonderry, not far from the village of Garvagh, and near the townland of Moneydig.
Two other men were taken to hospital as a result of the incident, one of them to the Causeway hospital and another to The Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.
Alderman Michelle Knight-McQuillan, a DUP councillor for the Bann district in Causeway Coast and Glens, said the fatal victim had been a “hard-working man”.
It had not been Mr Mitchell’s property; it is understood he was doing work for someone else – something which he often did, despite his age.
"Obviously my thoughts and prayers are with the family of Joey, with the families of the injured, and with everyone involved,” she told the News Letter.
"Everybody has a really good word for Joey. It’s just the nature of the man he was: he was just a hard-working gentleman.
"It’s just absolutely tragic and hard to really get your head around. Especially with people who work outdoors (and yesterday was a lovely day for that type of work), you never know when tragedy is going to strike, and life changes in an instant.
"He would’ve done a lot of work around various farms, doing building work.”
He was, she said, well-known and well-respected.
Also reacting was UUP councillor Richard Holmes, covering the same area.
He said it was common for men to keep doing manual farm / contracting work in the area “well into their 70s, and sometimes 80s”.
"It’s an absolute tragedy,” he said.
"And in these rural communities, that hits hard. Most will know someone involved in it – the farmer who owns the farm, the deceased.
"It sense an awful sensation of shock in the community, that someone has got up to do a day’s work and not come home.”
A funeral notice says Mr Mitchell (full Christian name Joseph Henry) was from Ballindreen Road, Ballybogey, several miles north-east of the accident.
It describes him as “dearly loved husband of Christine, father of Gavin and the late Brian, devoted grandfather of Troy and Jack and their mum Laura, beloved brother of Ann, Yvonne and the late Elizabeth, much loved uncle of Wendy, Diane, Philip and William Jnr”.
Funeral details to follow.