A Co Donegal community where two men drowned last week while out fishing are planning to build a memorial to the father and son.
The pair, who were holidaying from the Isle of Man, drowned on Thursday afternoon last at Lough Keel near Kilmacrennan.
Jonathon Christian, aged 53 and his 17-year-old son perished after the father followed his son into the lough after he dropped something while they were fishing from the shore.
Both the father and son drowned.
The father has been named as Jonathan Christian, aged 54, who worked as a business owner and manufacturer in Douglas on the Isle of Man.
His son has not yet been named.
Another fifteen-year-old son survived the tragedy.
All three were staying at their holiday home at Coolboy on the outskirts of Letterkenny where they were renovating a holiday home.
Local man Frank McGettigan, who lives half a mile from the lough, helped in the search operation.
He said: ‘I was working along the road when the rescue crew passed me and then I saw the rescue helicopter.
‘I was there very quickly. The young lad was in the ambulance. There was a lot of confusion. I know the lough very well, I’ve been fishing there since before I was a teenager. I helped search along the north shore.
‘They found the father first and I saw them recover the young lad. I saw them side by side on the shore. It’s very sad.’
Mr McGettigan said a lot of young people have been gathering at the lough during the lockdown but they didn’t realise how dangerous it can be.
Mr McGettigan said the community wanted to erect a memorial, commemorating the deaths of the father and son, and also a local man who had drowned in the lough 99 years ago.
Members of Irish Water who were working in the area heard cries for help shortly after 2.45pm and made an emergency call.
Malin Head Coastguard received the emergency call just before 3pm and scrambled the local emergency services.
The Rescue 118 helicopter was scrambled from its base in Sligo while the Mulroy Coastguard also arrived on the scene supported by Garda and ambulance personnel.
Specialist divers from Sheephaven Sub-Aqua Unit were also brought in to search the area.
An investigation by Gardai into the tragedy is ongoing.
A spokesman for the Manx police confirmed they had been informed and had spoken to relatives of the men on the island.
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