The pier in Buncrana where the tragedy occurred
By Anthony Neeson
Five members of one family – including two children – have drowned after a car slipped into the sea at a pier in Donegal on Sunday.
Those who died in the Buncrana tragedy were Sean McGrotty, 49, his sons Mark, 12, and Evan 8, his mother-in-law Ruth Daniels, 59, and her daughter Jodie Lee Daniels, 14.
Sean McGrotty’s four-month old baby daughter was rescued from the car.
Mr. McGrotty’s partner and the mother of the three children was on a visit to England at the weekend, according to reports.
Those who died were from Derry.
An eyewitness said the car may have got into difficulty as it tried to turn on the jetty, but lost control because of the amount of algae that had built up on the pier’s concrete surface.
One man swam to the car before it sank and was handed the baby by those within the vehicle.
Speaking to BBC Radio Foyle, eyewitness Francis Crawford said: “I phoned 999, I explained there was a car in the water and there’s a family in it that’s going to be sinking,” he said.
“A fella came over and I asked him if he could swim, he stripped off to his underwear and headed out and it was great that he did.
“He was totally exhausted, I think if he had another five yards to go I don’t see how he could have made it.
“He was shouting ‘grab the baby, grab the baby.’ He was taken to hospital, he was cut and different things but very heroic and he saved the wee baby’s life.
“All the time the car was bobbing about and I was hoping against hope that the car would stay up until the people came.
“I was watching the car and the nose of it started to dip and then all of a sudden the whole car just went down nose first and everything stopped.
“It was harrowing and heart wrenching, feeling hopeless and helpless, nothing you can do.”
Local councilor Jack Murray said: “It seems to be the case that the car was trying to maneuver and it then started to slip down on algae and it started to go into the water.
“I live very close to the pier, there were close to A HUNDRED people there hoping for better news than they got.
“There was a helicopter out on the (Lough) Swilly. It did a spotlight search and it became clear fairly soon that there wouldn’t be survivors.”
A book of condolences has been opened by Derry and Strabane district council.
The pier remained sealed off by gardaí today.
