One of the first Gardai on the scene of the Buncrana Pier tragedy in Co Donegal has told how he had to get down on his knees to stop himself slipping because of the thick algae.
Garda Seamus Callaghan, of Buncrana Garda station described a scene of carnage when he arrived on the shores of Lough Swilly on March 20th, 2016.
He told how when he arrived he saw a woman being given CPR.
He went down the slipway to assist but revealed “I had to get down on my knees to assist because it was just so slippy.”
The area was then sealed off and the pier was cleared to give the deceased some dignity, he added.
He then revealed how he stood and watched as the bodies of the remaining people in the jeep were taken ashore.
“Four more persons were taken from the water and blankets were placed over the bodies. Prayers were said over each of the bodies and a priest blessed the bodies,” he said.
He said he also noticed a woman nursing a baby in a car, a woman he later found out was Stephanie Knox, the girlfriend of Davitt Walsh.
Garda Callaghan added that he also noticed empty baby milk bottles and food cartons as well as a baby bag.
“It was clear that the baby had been very well looked after,” he said.
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