Five dead in Buncrana accident

manutd

[font=Arial, sans-serif]Confirmed 5 died - [/font][font=Roboto, sans-serif]http://donegalnews.com/2016/03/five-dead-in-donegal-tragedy/[/font]

[font=Roboto, sans-serif]"FIVE people have died in a tragic accident in Buncrana this evening.
The five, 2 adult males, one adult female and two small boys, lost their lives when the car they were in entered the water at the slipway in Buncrana.
A sixth occupant of the car, believed to be an two-month old infant, survived and has been taken to hospital."[/font]

Stheno

God love their families tragic for them

Menas

Jesus. Sounds bad.

gumbo1

That's horrendous! Condolences to their extended family and friends. I really hope that it was just a tragic accident and not malicious!

Sound Bite

Buncrana has had more than its fair share of tragedy. Horrible loss of life.

John_Rambo

Menas wrote: »

Jesus. Sounds bad.

Warm winter, rotten algae and seaweed. They can be as slippy as ice and presumably the slipway is a steep gradient. Tragic news.

Edit - I see you edited your post. I answered your query about how it could have happened.

Sh1tbag OToole

Very strange, the slipway isn't beside a main road or anything, not something you'd drive off so easily by accident

Stheno

Sh1tbag OToole wrote: »

Very strange, the slipway isn't beside a main road or anything, not something you'd drive off so easily by accident

Tragic is a euphemism used by the press

Atlantic Dawn

This looks like the area...
https://www.google.ie/maps/@55.1265766,-7.4643427,3a,75y,359h,82.11t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sYQ5yel3cCA6NCxZG56iA2w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Stheno

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

This looks like the area...
https://www.google.ie/maps/@55.1265766,-7.4643427,3a,75y,359h,82.11t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sYQ5yel3cCA6NCxZG56iA2w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

The indo have commentary from a local saying it's a dangerous pathway

Penfailed

You can see the search helicopter from our house Different reports saying different things about the vehicle involved - car, jeep, campervan... Loads of stories going around locally too.

Thepoet85

5 dead according to local reports. Our town's been trough too much, just hearing this. Don't even know if I know of anyone who's passed. Don't know what to hope

John_Rambo

Stheno wrote: »

The indo have commentary from a local saying it's a dangerous pathway

I used to sail a good bit and spent a fair amount of time sliding down slipways on my ar5e. I've seen 4wd cars slide in to water backwards whilst trying to drive forward or with the brakes on. Usually they end up sitting with water up to their wheel arches, but some slipways could have a shelf or a drop off where the cement ends. High tide was around 5 pm today.

Whatever happened, it's a pure tragedy.

Thepoet85

manutd wrote:

"FIVE people have died in a tragic accident in Buncrana this evening. The five, 2 adult males, one adult female and two small boys, lost their lives when the car they were in entered the water at the slipway in Buncrana. A sixth occupant of the car, believed to be an two-month old infant, survived and has been taken to hospital."

Atlantic Dawn wrote:

This looks like the area...

That's it

longshanks

What is it about Donegal and horrific car accidents?

Blingy

Awfully sad news. Can't even imagine the heartbreak for the family now.

KERSPLAT!

Mod

I'm sure it doesn't need to be said but I'll say it anyway, can everyone please remain respectful.

Poor people, my thoughts go out to them and their families.

failinis

My friend works in the food place right by the pier and her boss is also one of the life boat workers. I wont say much as its all speculation.
Sounds horrific, my friend is shook up just by seeing it, never mind the police who have to knock on someones door tonight.

NIMAN

Tragic news, may they all rest in peace.

Miss Merry Berry

God rest their poor souls. I can't imagine the absolute shock and agony their families are going through. Another tragedy in my beautiful Donegal, my thoughts and prayers are with everyone there.

Dolbert

2 small children among the dead. Jesus. I can't even imagine it

K-9

Ah Jaysus. heart goes out to all effected.

One small blessing is an infant survived

Cee-Jay-Cee

Sh1tbag OToole wrote: »

Very strange, the slipway isn't beside a main road or anything, not something you'd drive off so easily by accident

It's not very strange at all. The pier is a popular spot for motorists. The slipway is extremely slippery especially when the tide is out. I have personally experienced the car I was a passenger is slip on the same slipway when the driver went too far down it, luckily he managed to turn the car and get grip again and drive off the slipway but I can see how someone might panic and simply brake in the hope of stopping the slide instead of trying to drive out of it.

Such very sad news and more so when there is your children involved.

Rest in peace.

wokingvoter

I'm always terrified when I see cars parked too near to the edge of any waters. I can't understand how the driver isn't concerned about ending up submerged
I've read too many of these stories most of them complete accidents
RIP

armaghlad

RIP. Heart breaking. Surely the pier should be closed to cars if the ferry isn't running (or has it just started up again?)

K-9

armaghlad wrote: »

RIP. Heart breaking. Surely the pier should be closed to cars if the ferry isn't running (or has it just started up again?)

Don't think so, there's always a clamour by Councillors at this time of year to get funding for it. IIRC it ran for a short time last year and no service the year before.

Doodie123

I was chatting to the Guard waving traffic off from the Pier Road.

It's a Northern registered car, a MPV type.

A local who lived in the apartments down there beside the restaurant saw them on the slipway, with the lights jerking (assuming it was slipping on the weeds/algae)

From what i heard (so take with a grain of salt), they got to the car when it was bobbing in the water and retrieved the baby (a few weeks old) when it was passed out the window.

It's extremely deep there, and there was dredging carried out late last year for the local summer ferry service across the swilly.

Back in the 80's there was another fatality involving a Fiesta off the end of the same pier - about 30 Meters further along.
Originally there was balks of timber (old railway sleepers) alongside the edges of the original pier to stop traffic - this was replaced with aluminum railings and lower aluminum tube-type barriers about a foot high.

The local RNLI have a lifeboat moored on the other side of the pier - about 15 meters away.

Google maps show a swinging gate type that should block off the slipway. I can't personally recall if it's still there, unlocked or what.

edit: removed the family nickname of the local who saved the baby and clarified the barrier situation

JP Liz V1

RIP awful loss of lives

Torricelli

The family were from Derry.

Puts your own petty problems into perspective.

RIP

antodeco

So sad to hear. RIP to the whole family. Things like this shouldn't happen.

FirefighterT7

RIP God help all involved and loved ones left behind.. Hope baby makes it through ok..