A five-year-old boy and his teenage sister drowned yesterday in a swimming accident in Belmullet, Co Mayo.
The accident occurred in the afternoon when Niall Murphy drifted out to sea on an inflatable water toy which he had bought only recently. His 15-year-old sister, Trisha, who is believed to have been a strong swimmer, tried to rescue him but both drowned about 100 yards from the shore.
They had been with children playing on a rocky shore about a quarter of a mile from the town's seawater pool, and near the Convent of Mercy. Their 10year-old sister, Noelle, raised the alarm after noticing they were in trouble from where she was standing on the nearby shoreline.
The children were members of a family of 10 - five boys and five girls - from a housing estate, Seaside, overlooking the Atlantic in Belmullet. Their father works voluntarily with the local wheelchair association.
It appears the children who died had been surfing in a local tidal pool off Shore Road earlier but then decided to try the more open water.
The weather was good, with sunshine and clear skies, and the wind was north-easterly.
It is believed the inflatable toy, which offers little buoyancy, was caught by the incoming tide.
The accident was seen by a several children who watched helplessly as the boy's sister tried to help.
Malin Head Marine Rescue Sub-Centre received an emergency call shortly before 3 p.m., and two inshore lifeboats from Ballyglass were on the scene within 20 minutes.
An Air Corps helicopter from Sligo was also called, and the bodies of the boy and his sister were recovered within 10 minutes of each other.
The boy's body was recovered on the shoreline by the Ballyglass Coast Guard unit, while one of the inshore lifeboats, coxed by Supt Tony McNamara, recovered the girl's body offshore just below the waterline. Supt McNamara tried to resuscitate her but she had been in the water for too long.
"We took to the inshore lifeboats as we had to navigate above the bridge, and all of the rescue units were there within half an hour of the alert," Supt McNamara said. "There was very little anyone could do. The whole area is totally traumatised by the double deaths. The Murphys are solid and respected members of the local community and the hearts of all go out to them at this time of great tragedy," he said.
The last rites were given by Father Clem Haverty of Belmullet. The children's bodies were transferred by ambulance to Mayo General Hospital in Castlebar.
The area where the accident occurred is used by swimmers but is not visible from the seawater pool, where there is a lifeguard on duty.
Condolences were expressed last night by the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Mr Fahey, and the Minister of State for the Marine, Mr Hugh Byrne.
"The thoughts and prayers of everybody are with the family, and the whole of the close-knit community in Belmullet at this time," the Minister said in a statement.
An information seminar which was due to be hosted today by the Minister in Geesala, north Mayo, has been postponed as a mark of respect to the victims, and will be rearranged for a later date.