Body of drowned man recovered

After a day and a half of searching, shortly after seven on Saturday morning, the body of Kelvin “Brambles” Barrow was found floating in the water, just a few yards off the New Brighton Beach. Barrow disappeared underwater on Thursday after walking out to sea in an attempt to elude the police. Earlier that afternoon Barrow

apparently got into a scuffle with his girlfriends’ stepfather, an off duty police officer. The officer claims Barrow and his stepdaughter were engaged in a violent domestic dispute and he came to her rescue. The officer claims that Barrow had a gun while he had a machete. The police were called but when they arrived, Barrow ran away from the authorities and into the sea. An on duty police officer followed Barrow. The official police version of events is that the officer he decided to turn back after he noticed the water was getting deeper and never saw Barrow go under the water. Although no one has made any official report to police, area residents alleged to the media that the officer had knocked Barrow in the head while they were in the water, they also claim the off duty police officer had chopped Barrow across the chest with a machete. However a post mortem examination on the body has revealed that the young man died due to drowning and there were no signs of injuries or foul play on the body. Family and friends still maintain he did not simply drown. Barrow was laid to rest on Sunday.