BY MICHAEL BRESLIN

A young mechanic died tragically on Monday when the car he was working on fell on him.

Gareth Ricky Armstrong, aged 24 years, was found by a family member, in the shed were he was working early on Tuesday morning.

Today the Tempo community is coming to terms with the tragic death, as a result of a 'jack' collapsing.

The owner of Gareth Armstrong Motors, his workshop was up a concrete lane across the road from his parents' bungalow home on the Fintona Road.

He lived with his partner, Charlene and their son, Jack who was born in February last at Kilskeery Road, Tempo.

A Police spokesman confirmed that he was found dead at Glengesh Road by his father at 2 o'clock yesterday (Tuesday) morning.

"He had been working under a car on Monday night, and he was found under the car in the garage by his father. He hadn't appeared back and his father had gone to look for him.

"Police are treating his death as an accident. A post mortem is to be held."

The deceased was a son of Wesley and Sandra Armstrong, and had a brother, Graham and a sister, Lindsay.

Neighbours and those who had worked with him or had worked for in the motor trade spoke of him being, 'a great lad, a rattling good lad, the very best', someone who would be sorely missed.

J.J. Maguire of A-Z Motors, Derrylin had worked alongside Gareth in Lochside Motors in Derrylin, before employing him for the most of last year in his own firm.

"He started up on his own just recently, about eight or nine months ago. I would say he was doing all right. He was a mechanic, and did a lot of gardening and farm work with his father. He was just a general all-rounder."

Mr Maguire, in fact, had called at Gareth's house at about 9.30 Monday night, but did not find him about. He stayed around until 10.30 and had then left, assuming he had gone away somewhere.

"I was wondering where he was, and I now know that's where he was at the time, under the car. I spoke to him at 6.30 and rang him again at 9 o'clock, so it was some time between those two times that the accident happened.

"He had branched out on his own, and that was what he wanted to do. He was definitely a terrific worker. He and the father did an awful lot of farming and gardening around the country.

Gareth's funeral will take place tomorrow (Thursday) folowing a service in St Margaret's Church, Clabby.