West Ocean City Bar Owner Dies

WEST OCEAN CITY -- The owner of 707 Sports Bar & Grill died shortly after an incident at his establishment, police said.

Detectives with the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation are looking into what happened to 63-year-old Carey Flynn of Berlin, according to Worcester County State's Attorney spokesman William McDermott.

It's unclear how the incident unfolded at about 2 a.m. Thursday. Authorities would not officially explain what happened, citing an ongoing investigation. However, several people familiar with the situation said a physical altercation was sparked when Flynn objected to someone urinating outside the bar.

While police are pursuing a suspect in connection with Flynn's death, it has yet to be determined if anything criminal occurred, and police have made no arrests nor charged anyone with a crime, he said.

Flynn was transported from the bar to Atlantic General Hospital, where he died, according to McDermott. No further information is likely to surface until the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore can account for an official cause of death, which will take three to four days, McDermott said.

He declined further comment, citing the ongoing investigation.

Outside the bar on Thursday, located on Old Bridge Road, the bar's marquee read: "In remembrance of Carey." Later in the day, it was changed to simply say, "Reopen Friday."

Yellow crime scene tape was wrapped around the left side of the porch. Friends and bar employees were gathered outside on the other side of the porch. They all declined to comment about the situation, though one woman who said she was the floor manager called Flynn a great boss with "a heart of gold."

Denny Contic, founder and president of the Pittsburgh Steeler Fan Club of Ocean City that meets at the 707, said his group is tentatively planning to hold a celebration of Flynn's life before Sunday's early afternoon game against the Titans. Flynn bought the bar in 2010, and a long-running affection for the bar on the part of Steelers fans carried over.

"He's a gentleman," he said. "We have our fan club there, and he bent over backward to make us welcome. As far as the Steeler fan club, in honor of him and out of respect for him, we will stay there ... He was full of life and fun, and I would think he would want to continue that."

Source;    http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20111007/NEWS01/110070303/Owner-West-OC-bar-dies?