Harry Starrett tragically died from an underlying heart condition last week on his granda’s farm

A joint health and safety and police investigation is underway on Tuesday evening after a ten-year-old boy died in a tragic farming accident.

The incident happened at a farm on the Rathfriland Road in Castlewellan around 2.30 pm on Tuesday afternoon.

The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service received a 999 call saying a young boy had fallen from some farm machinery on the land.

However, because of the remoteness of the farm, paramedics called in the PSNI’s helicopter for assistance to try and reach him.

The Eurocopter landed in a nearby field close to where the boy had fallen.

The schoolboy was placed on a stretcher and airlifted by the PSNI helicopter along with two paramedics who tended to his injuries until they reached Craigavon Area Hospital.

However, he was tragically pronounced dead after failing to regain consciousness from his fall.

A PSNI spokesperson later confirmed that the boy died as a result of the accident.

Following the accident, the PSNI informed the NI Health and Safety Executive who are  currently investigating the circumstances of the death.

A spokesperson said: “HSENI is investigating the death of a 10-year-old boy on a Co Down farm.

“Our deepest sympathies are with the family at this most difficult time.”

South Down NI21 MLA John McCallister said: “My thoughts and prayers are with the family. This really is a tragic event.”

It is the third death on a farm within the space of a week.

Last Tuesday, little Harry Starrett died on his grandfather’s farm in Co Armagh.

The six-year-old was found unconscious by his grandfather in a milking parlour last Tuesday afternoon.

At first it was believe he died after being overcome by slurry fumes in a shed.

However, a post mortem revealed the primary school boy died from an underlying heart condition.

And last Thursday, a 70-year-old man fell from a while working on slurry in Moneymore, Co Derry.

The deaths come amid a hard-hitting advertising campaign from HSENI warning of the dangers while working on farms.