Inquest hears of efforts made to resuscitate Buncrana tragedy victims

A Garda witness has told an inquest how rescue personnel tried to resuscitate the five people who died in the Buncrana drowning tragedy on Lough Swilly in March last year.

Garda Seamus Callaghan also informed the inquest of how rescue workers acted to "protect the dignity"of the victims at the pier on the lough on the night of the disaster.

Garda Callaghan was giving evidence at the inquests in Buncrana into the deaths of Sean McGrotty (49), his sons Mark (12), and Evan (8), his mother in law Ruth Daniels (59) and Ruth's daughter Jodie Lee Daniels (14).

The witness explained how he assisted some RNLI personnel who were bringing the bodies of the victims ashore on the evening of March 20th, last year.

He said CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and defribillators were used on the victims, but these attempts proved futile and the five were pronounced dead at the scene.

He said non rescue workers were instructed to leave the scene to help “protect the dignity” of the victims.

Blankets were placed over the bodies. A priest who arrived at the scene blessed and prayed over each of the victims, added Garda Callaghan.

The coroner Dr Denis McCauley is conducting inquests into the five deaths which happened at Buncrana pier on a calm Sunday evening last March. The Audi Q7 SUV car Mr McGrotty was driving appeared to slide on “treacherous” algae at the bottom of the slipway and slip into the waters of Lough Swilly.

On Wednesday, the inquest heard Mr McGrotty was three times over the drink-driving limit at the time of the accident.

It also heard how Davitt Walsh, from Kerrykeel in Co Donegal, risked his life to save Sean McGrotty and Ms James’s remaining child Rioghnach-Ann, who was then just four months old.

‘Save our baby’

He swam 20-25 metres out to the sinking car to take the infant from the hands of Mr McGrotty who said to him either “save the baby” or “save our baby”. Mr Walsh managed to swim back to the slipway where he handed over the baby to his girlfriend at the time Stephanie Knox.

On Thursday, Garda Callaghan told of receiving an alert at 7.15 pm on Sunday March 20th, at Buncrana Garda station about the accident. When he arrived at the scene shortly afterwards he found Ms Knox in her car at the pier tending to Rioghnach-Ann.

Garda Callaghan said when he went down the slipway to the water’s edge to assist RNLI workers in bringing in one of the bodies he found it difficult to stand due to the “extremely slippery” algae on the slipway.

RNLI volunteer John O’Raw, a lecturer in computer science in Letterkenny and also a scuba diving instructor explained how he dived to the vehicle to check were any bodies aboard at about 7.55 pm on the night of the tragedy.

Evidence from witnesses on Wednesday indicated the car fully sank sometime after 7.20 pm.

Driver’s window broken

Mr O’Raw inspected the four side doors of the car which was then in about three metres of water and could not open any of them. He said Mr McGrotty’s driver’s window was broken but was intact and bowed or bent inwards into the car, in a shape consistent with the driver having sat on it.

Mr O’Raw said he was aware of three similar incidents at Buncrana pier where Mr McGrotty’s car slid into the water.

“I am aware of other incidents that have occurred there. I am personally aware probably of three incidents over a 17-year career,” he said.

He said seven minutes after volunteers were alerted to the tragedy the first body, that of Ruth Daniels, was recovered.

Public Service Vehicle inspector, Garda Damien Mulkearns said he examined the Audi Q7 the day after the tragedy and found there were no mechanical issues with the vehicle. It had been transported to Letterkenny at that stage. He said he also checked the side doors and was able to open them.