Donegal County Council says it will review safety measures at the pier in Buncrana where five people lost their lives on Sunday evening once the facts surrounding the tragedy have been established.
No warning signs have been installed in the immediate aftermath of the fatalities, and on Tuesday motorists could be seen driving up and down the slipway upon which Seán McGrotty’s car slipped into the waters at Lough Swilly.
A large metal barrier to the entrance of the slipway remains open and locked against the wall. The barrier does not appear to have been closed in several months.
Hundreds of people have been visiting the scene of the accident. Many laid flowers and left small mementos to the family.
But despite the obvious dangers posed by the slipway, a number of cars drove on to the slipway and performed U-turns to come back up.
Others walked down to the thick green algae on which the AudiQ7 jeep lost its grip and slid into the sea.
Apart from a sign warning people not to swim within 15m of the slipway, there are no warning signs of dangers at the pier, and none have been posted at the scene since Sunday evening’s tragedy.
Davitt Walsh, who saved the life of Mr McGrotty’s baby daughter by swimming out to the car, was among those calling for a review of safety measures at the pier.
“I really do think that something needs to be done. That algae is just lethal,” he said.
Dangers
“We slipped on it as we went down. It’s grand for locals as they know the dangers posed by the slipway and how dangerous it can be. But visitors are simply not aware of this.
“All that needs to be erected there is a barrier which can easily be opened and closed to prevent cars going down it.
“The slipway is like a skating rink because of all that algae and those poor people didn’t stand a chance because they didn’t know the area,” he said.
His comments follow local reports that there have been several near misses on the slipway on Buncrana Pier in recent months.
Local operations manager for the RNLI John McCarter said algae was an ongoing issue for anybody who used slipways or who launched boats.
Interface
“We have seen rigs go into the water but fortunately it has never involved people, and this is just the nature of the interface between the sea and the land.
“The county council have their ways of looking at and managing their assets.
“The slipway is not used much during the winter months. It does facilitate the ferry operation in the summer months but, like all slipways that are exposed to the tides and the air, they do get slippery,” he said.
A spokesman for Donegal County Council said they would only decide whether specific measures needed to be taken at the pier once the facts surrounding the tragedy had been established.
“We at Donegal County Council offer our sincere condolences to the family and friends of those who lost their lives in the tragic accident at Buncrana Pier on Sunday evening.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Daniels and McGrotty families at this very sad time.
“Once the facts surrounding this unfortunate tragedy are established, the council will review them and determine if any specific measures need to be taken.
“Until these facts are established, Donegal County Council will not be in a position to offer further comment on this incident,” he said.