Beachgoers are being urged to clean up after themselves following a disturbing incident in Inishowen last week.
A young family was visiting Sandport beach in Malin Head when a little girl, aged two, scorched her feet on burning rubbish.
The toddler, who has additional needs, was unaware of the danger when she stepped on the embers. She was left screaming in pain for the rest of the day and night. Her feet were still sore and blistered the next day.
The little tot’s parents have spoken out about her agony in a bid to warn people to clean up their mess to protect others. They said that Sandport beach is the “ultimate happy place” for their daughter, who is non-verbal and is being assessed for autism.
When the family arrived at the beach last Thursday they noticed the remnants of a fire from the night before, surrounded by metal, broken glass and a pile of other rubbish. They said they gathered up the rubbish and screened it all off with a windbreaker and warned their children not to go near it. However, their little girl could not understand the danger.
“The litter that was left on the fire site caught her eye and she wandered over when no one was looking. Her little feet blistered instantly in the embers. The sand was still white hot. She was in agony,” her mother said.
“My girl was traumatised and screamed for hours, it was the most distressed she has ever been in her life, she lost her voice from screaming and the whole experience was just heart-breaking.”
Writing to the Malin Head Community page, the mother said she was disgusted that the dangerous mess was left lying on a beautiful beach for a child to wander into.
“I wish those responsible for it could see the pain that they caused my little girl. She’s 2 and a half, she’s just a baby and should be able to play in the sand safely,” the mother said.
Ali Farren, who runs the community Facebook page, said that the incident could have been easily prevented.
He said: “We want people to come to Malin Head and enjoy our beaches as much as anywhere else in Donegal. We are blessed to have good beaches and when people come, we expect them to leave them as they found them.
“This is not a case of blaming visitors either, everyone that uses our beaches, including locals, should clean up before they leave.”
