Five members of a family, including three children, were killed when their car plunged off a pier at Buncrana, a beauty spot in northwest Ireland, authorities said Monday.
A bystander rushed into the water and managed to rescue a baby girl from the sinking car, but her two brothers, aged 12 and eight, perished.
Also killed were the baby's father, grandmother and 14-year-old aunt.
Bystander Davitt Walsh, who stripped off his clothes and swam out to the car, managed to save four-month-old Rionaghac-Ann when she was passed out a broken window by her father as the car sank.
"I took off my clothes down to my boxers and I swam out to the family... I started shouting please everybody has to get out of the car, the car's going to go down," a visibly shaken Walsh told Irish broadcaster RTE.
"I think deep down the father knew that I was only going to be able to save one person," Walsh said.
"The last thing he said to me, he handed it to me and he said, 'Save the baby', and he went back in and he stayed with his family and the car just disappeared."
The baby's mother, who lost her husband, two sons, sister and mother in the accident, was reported to be on a trip away in England when the tragedy happened.
The family were from Northern Ireland, and community leaders from both sides of the border expressed their support.
"I have heard with the greatest sadness of the terrible loss of life of a family in Buncrana," Irish President Michael D. Higgins said in a statement.
"My heart goes out to the family and loved ones" of the victims, Higgins added, naming the dead as adults Sean McGrotty and Ruth Daniels, and children Evan McGrotty (8), Mark McGrotty (12), and Jodie Lee Daniels (14).
"This is heartbreaking. A tragedy. My sincere sympathies to the family circle and the volunteers who tried their best," said Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster.
Police, emergency services and the coastguard rushed to the scene as bystanders called to say a car had fallen into the water at the popular tourist town, which borders the Lough Swilly sea inlet in County Donegal.
Dozens of local people gathered to try to help with the search, and the emergency services tried to resuscitate the victims as they were pulled from the water.
Police were treating the incident, which occurred Sunday evening, as a tragic accident.
The spot is used to watch the sunset, and there were reports the car may have skidded on algae on the slipway.
"This is just devastating," said Pat Gallagher, a lawmaker that represents Donegal.
"The news of the deaths has left local people in shock. Five people have lost their lives in what appears to be a very, very sad accident."
It is the second tragedy in recent years to hit the local area.
Eight people lost their lives in a horrific car crash near Buncrana in 2010.
Five members of a family, including three children, were killed when their car plunged off a pier at Buncrana, a beauty spot in northwest Ireland, authorities said Monday.
A bystander rushed into the water and managed to rescue a baby girl from the sinking car, but her two brothers, aged 12 and eight, perished.
Also killed were the baby’s father, grandmother and 14-year-old aunt.
Bystander Davitt Walsh, who stripped off his clothes and swam out to the car, managed to save four-month-old Rionaghac-Ann when she was passed out a broken window by her father as the car sank.
“I took off my clothes down to my boxers and I swam out to the family… I started shouting please everybody has to get out of the car, the car’s going to go down,” a visibly shaken Walsh told Irish broadcaster RTE.
“I think deep down the father knew that I was only going to be able to save one person,” Walsh said.
“The last thing he said to me, he handed it to me and he said, ‘Save the baby’, and he went back in and he stayed with his family and the car just disappeared.”
The baby’s mother, who lost her husband, two sons, sister and mother in the accident, was reported to be on a trip away in England when the tragedy happened.
The family were from Northern Ireland, and community leaders from both sides of the border expressed their support.
“I have heard with the greatest sadness of the terrible loss of life of a family in Buncrana,” Irish President Michael D. Higgins said in a statement.
“My heart goes out to the family and loved ones” of the victims, Higgins added, naming the dead as adults Sean McGrotty and Ruth Daniels, and children Evan McGrotty (8), Mark McGrotty (12), and Jodie Lee Daniels (14).
“This is heartbreaking. A tragedy. My sincere sympathies to the family circle and the volunteers who tried their best,” said Northern Ireland’s First Minister Arlene Foster.
Police, emergency services and the coastguard rushed to the scene as bystanders called to say a car had fallen into the water at the popular tourist town, which borders the Lough Swilly sea inlet in County Donegal.
Dozens of local people gathered to try to help with the search, and the emergency services tried to resuscitate the victims as they were pulled from the water.
Police were treating the incident, which occurred Sunday evening, as a tragic accident.
The spot is used to watch the sunset, and there were reports the car may have skidded on algae on the slipway.
“This is just devastating,” said Pat Gallagher, a lawmaker that represents Donegal.
“The news of the deaths has left local people in shock. Five people have lost their lives in what appears to be a very, very sad accident.”
It is the second tragedy in recent years to hit the local area.
Eight people lost their lives in a horrific car crash near Buncrana in 2010.
