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Buncrana Pier tragedy: Dad gave his life to save drowning family

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Tragic dad Sean McGrotty

Sean McGrotty died trying to rescue his family

The tragic dad who died along with four family members after their car slid off the end of a pier drowned after going back under the water to try and save his family.

Sean McGrotty, 49, managed to hand his baby daughter Rionaghac-Ann to a rescuer before going under the water in his sinking Audi Q7.

His young sons Mark, 12, and Evan, 8, 59-year-old grandmother mother-in-law Ruth Daniels and sister-in-law Jodi Lee Daniels, 15, all died after their car went into the water in Buncrana, County Donegal, Ireland.

Davitt Walsh, 29, a League of Ireland footballer who has played for Shelbourne and Ballymena United, held the baby girl in the air as he swam her to shore but couldn't save the other family members.

 

 

He said: "I think deep down the father knew that I was only going to be able to save one person and the last thing he said to me was 'save the baby' and he went back in and stayed with his family and the car just disappeared.

"I looked out and I could see the distress in the family.

"They were all screaming 'help help help.'

"I didn't really think I took off my clothes down to my boxers and swam out as fast as I could.

 

"When I got out there, the father had the window half ajar and was hitting it with his elbow trying to break it.

"I'm guessing the electrics broke.

"When the window broke, the father sat out on the ledge of the window and the water started to seep in.

"He then handed me the infant and said 'take the baby.'

"I told him I wanted to help someone else, but the water started coming in and he just looked at me and said 'save my baby.'

 


The scene at Buncrana Pier in Co Donegal

Police cordoned off a large stretch of the coastline

 

 


The scene at Buncrana Pier in Co Donegal

The scene at Buncrana Pier in Co Donegal

 

"It was terrible.

"The baby was handed to me and the father had to make a decision, he could have saved himself because he was out of the car, but he went back into his family.

"I couldn't do anything else, the car went down instantly.

Father Paddy O'Kane from Holy Family Church in Londonderry told the Irish Mirrorthe baby's devastated mother Louise McGrotty has said her little girl has given her "reason to carry on".

 

Louise, 35, had spoken to her family on the phone just half an hour before the tragedy.

Father O'Kane said: "Louise said to me, 'I have lost everyone, except little Rionaghac-Ann'. She said 'Rionaghac-Ann is my reason to go on'."

 


Louise James

Mum Louise McGrotty with little Rionaghac-Ann and son Evan

 

He added: "Words fail me to describe the depth of pain and the vastness of this tragedy."

 

The priest spent much of the morning comforting the distraught family at their home in the Ballymagroarty area of Derry.

He is expected to visit the house again with Catholic Bishop of Derry, Donal McKeown and Ken Good, the Church of Ireland Bishop for Derry and Raphoe later.

 

"I am 43 years a priest and nothing compares to this," he added.

"This is way beyond anything in my wildest imagination.

 


Mark, 12, and eight-year-old Evan

 

"This is the worst thing I have ever had.

"When I went up there this morning people were just standing around - men were just standing looking at the ground not knowing what to say.

"All you can do is just shake their hand and say 'I'm sorry'.

"A respectful silence is all I could muster.

 


Sister-in-law Jodie

Jodi Lee Daniels, 15, also lost her life

 

"Before I left the house I said the Lords Prayer with everyone to give Louise and her family strength.

"We all knew there was a terrible tragedy that happened in Buncrana last night but we didn't realise it was on our doorstep.

"Little did I know it was going to come here."

It is understood the family had celebrated eight-year-old Evan's first confession just a fortnight ago and were preparing for his first communion in May.

 

 

Baby Rionaghac-Ann, the sole survivor of the accident, was christened in January.

Father O'Kane said: "It was a time of celebration.

"Little did we think that so soon after we were going to have such a tragedy on our doorstep.

 

"Two weeks ago little Evan made his first confession here and he was about to make his first communion in May.

"Little did we think that two weeks ago he wouldn't be here.

 


Mother-in-law Ruth

Sean's mother-in-law Ruth Daniels also died

 

"They are inconsolable."

Speaking at the scene earlier, Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said the communities in Derry and Donegal would have to throw their arms around the bereaved family.

Father O'Kane said locals had rallied round.

He said: "People are very good in this parish and they will do all they can to help but what can you do and what can you say."

The funeral, expected to take place on Thursday, is going to be one of the most difficult the priest concluded.

"I have never had to do anything like this before so I hope the Lord gives me the right words to say to give some sort of consolation and peace," he said.

Meanwhile, at the bungalow in St Eithne's Park there was a steady stream of ashen-faced visitors.

One man choked back tears as he explained the family were too upset to speak at this stage.

 

 

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5 minutes ago, Gilly said:

I don't understand.. so they were in the car and it slipped? or were they in an accident? how come the dad jumped back in and drowned? 

 

anyway, RIP. This is horrible. 

The car slid off the road I think dead2 

Quote

Sinn Féin councillor Jack Murray said questions are now being asked as to whether the car entered the water because of the pier's slippery surface.

"It seems to be the case that the car was trying to manoeuvre 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 100 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."

 

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28 minutes ago, Raphael said:

The car slid off the road I think dead2 

 

so they slid into the water and were trapped in the car? how did the dad get out tho? anyway, the dad shouldnt of gone down and died with them, he still had a daughter that needs him. This was totally avoidable which makes it even more tragic noway1 

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15 minutes ago, Electric said:

I'm still confused, they said he realised could only save one person so he went back down and stayed with his family? 

Why didn't they all get out? I guess they were trapped

How sad, RIP.

 

10 minutes ago, Gilly said:

so they slid into the water and were trapped in the car? how did the dad get out tho? anyway, the dad shouldnt of gone down and died with them, he still had a daughter that needs him. This was totally avoidable which makes it even more tragic noway1 

he gave his daughter to a rescuer and went back to rescue the others dead2 

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