Derry News reporter Garrett Hargan has spent the day in Buncrana following Sunday night’s tragedy. He writes here about a town in shock.
Buncrana is a town sadly used to tragedy in recent years.
A number of multiple car crashes have claimed the lives of many young local people.
Three of the victims of the 1998 Omagh bomb also came from Buncrana.
There were grey clouds hanging over the Inishowen today as residents tried to come to terms with the horrific events of Sunday evening.
What apparently had simply been a Sunday drive to the popular seaside area turned to tragedy when a vehicle carrying six members of a Derry family entered Lough Swilly at Buncrana pier.
The bravery of one man managed to save the life of a four-month-old baby who was in the vehicle.
However, despite the best efforts of the rescue services, the other five occupants drowned.
The scene of the tragic accident at Buncrana pier was one of sombre reflection today as people try to come to terms with the enormity of the incident.
Garda cordoned off the area just outside the Beach House bar and Restaurant, where media from all over Ireland have gathered.
There was a steady stream of local people visiting the scene to pay their respects by laying flowers and saying a silent prayer.
Francis Crawford was walking at the pier with his wife on Sunday evening, as he often does, when he seen the vehicle in trouble and raised the alarm.
A man shouted from the vehicle for Mr Crawford to ring the coastguard and he was informed that emergency services were on their way within a minute.
A young man also at the scene jumped into the water and managed to rescue the baby.
An understandably-shaken Mr Crawford described how he hoped the vehicle would stay afloat until rescue services arrived, but moments later it tipped over ‘nose first and sunk’.
Several locals expressed their sadness about hearing the news yesterday evening.
Walking around the busy sea front in Buncrana the entire community was in shock today.
Buncrana man Jerry McFadden said: “There was a rescue exercise going on all day with the helicopter and boat being used.
“Later in the evening my daughter said there had been an accident but I was convinced it must have been another rescue exercise.
“It makes it all the more tragic that the rescue boat is stationed just the other side of the pier. I hear they arrived very quickly but it was just too late. It’s a terrible tragedy.
“It’s just so sad to think on it, I would come here every day to walk the dog, but it just feels different today.”
Speaking at the scene, Garda Superintendent Colm Neville said: “It’s a terrible tragedy, one of the biggest ones that we’ve experience here in Donegal for a long, long time.”
The already close-knit areas of Buncrana and Derry are now even closer as they unite to help the families of the victims of Sunday night’s tragedy.
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