Three young men aged between 16 and 19 encountered life-threatening difficulties while swimming off Buncrana. While one managed to swim to safety, the other two tragically drowned. All three were international protection applicants from Africa, residing locally. Emergency services conducted a thorough search and rescue operation but were ultimately only able to recover two bodies. Local priest Fr. Francis Bradley expressed heartbreak over the incident, acknowledging the frequency of such tragedies in the area and stressing the perils that come with the beautiful coastal scenery.
Speaking at mass at St Mary's Chapel in Cockhill on Sunday morning, Fr Francis Bradley prayed for the two young men who lost their lives in the tragedy. "We are conscious of having lost two of our new parishioners overnight," Fr Bradley said. "We are heartbroken at their loss but we pray for them and for their families."
Fr Bradley added that there was a terrible feeling of "here we go again" in Buncrana today. "We've had so many tragedies here, far too many like this. I suppose we are a beauty spot and because of that, it's almost like there are sirens that call us into the water," he said.
Fr Bradley emphasized the dangers of the beautiful location, stating, "These young lads I suppose just weren't aware of the dangers. It's beautiful, yes, but there are tremendous dangers, especially when the tide is pulling out, there are huge currents."
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