'Terrible grief' descends on town after death of two teenagers

A community worker who comforted the mothers of two teenagers who died after getting into difficulty in water near Buncrana in County Donegal has said a "terrible grief" has descended on the town.

Emmanuel Familola, 16, originally from Nigeria, and 18-year-old Matt Sibanda, from Zimbabwe died on Saturday.

Ruth Garvey-Williams, from community centre The Exchange, had initially been with Matt's mother Bonnie as the tragedy unfolded before going to hospital with Emmanuel's mother Glory.

"Soon it became apparent there was not much hope of him surviving," she told BBC News NI.

The tragedy unfolded on Saturday afternoon after the Irish Coast Guard received a report of a number of people in difficulty in the water.

It is understood a group had been playing football on the beach at Ned's Point, just outside Buncrana, and some had gone into the water to retrieve a ball.

Later that evening, the body of Matt Sibanda was recovered from Lough Swilly.

Emmanuel Familola was rescued and taken to Letterkenny University Hospital but he died in the early hours of Sunday morning.

A third teenage boy managed to make it back to shore.

Hundreds of people attended a special service held in their memory at St Mary's Oratory in Buncrana on Sunday while, on Monday night, up to 50 people were at a vigil in Londonderry, across the border in Northern Ireland, where flowers were thrown into the River Foyle as an act of remembrance.

Mrs Garvey-Williams and her husband Andrew both volunteer at the Exchange community centre in Buncrana, which helps asylum seekers and provides English classes.

They had both initially rushed to the shorefront when news of the tragedy broke, comforting Matt's mum.

They left her in the company of friends to travel with Emmanuel's mother to hospital, where they waited by his bedside.

"The families were all praying for a miracle - sadly at 01:30 he passed away," she told BBC News NI.

"The doctors were incredible in ICU, they tried everything… it was a devastating, heartbreaking moment - to be with a mother, when her oldest son was dying there," she said.

Both teenagers had been living with their families in separate international protection centres in Buncrana.

"These are amazing people who have fled terrible tragedies in their home countries, and have come to find safety here in Buncrana, and then to face this- it is every mothers worst nightmare," she said.

Mrs Garvey-Williams said the wider Buncrana community had been rallying around the families, adding the wider response has been "heartwarming."

In Derry on Monday night, people came together in a vigil organised by United Against Racism - Davy McCauley, from the group, said the death of the teenagers had been "absolutely heartbreaking".

Noting the historically strong links between Derry and nearby Buncrana, he added: "We live together, we mourn together - this is the real spirit of this place."

Becca Bor, who attended the vigil, said the deaths were "every parents worst fear".

The boys, she said, had "gone off to have a wonderful afternoon, a fun time with each other and they don't come home".

"It is an absolute nightmare."

Earlier on Monday, Joe Joyce, of the RNLI Lough Swilly lifeboat station, described the traumatic scenes as families watched helplessly amid efforts to locate the missing teenage boys.

Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme, he said dozens joined the search including Malin Head Coast Guard, the Irish Coast Guard helicopter and a former RNLI crew member, who was on the lough in his own personal boat.

"There was a local yacht race happening that day, and they stopped that and assisted with the search," he said.

"It was terribly traumatic to look at the families watching out over the lough and praying."

The third teenage boy was helped out of the water "with the assistance of a local man" and was able to "scramble" onto the coastal pathway, Mr Joyce added.

Mr Joyce said support services have been put in place following the incident.

"The schools have opened up to give counselling and we are looking after our own team, and everyone is just shocked.

"There was an eeriness that hung over the pier — it was a terrible scene."

Mr Joyce said the area is a popular swimming spot and noted that waters can change dramatically and quickly.

Fr Francis Bradley said he was present alongside the family of Matt Sibanda.

He described the experience of standing beside the child's mother at the shoreline as "unspeakably tough".

"We simply said a prayer with Matt's mother, out over the water, simply begging God that his body would be found," he said.

"The power of a mother's love is amazing, as I stood there and listened to her call out Matt's name, trying her best to bring him back to life, as she once gave him life."

Evelyn McLoughlin, principal of Scoil Mhuire in Buncrana where Emmanuel was a pupil, said there were "no words" that could "fully capture the pain and sorrow that we are feeling".

Kevin Cooley, principal of Crana College, where Matt attended, said "there is a dark cloud of sadness over Buncrana".

Councillor Fionán Bradley, who knew Emmanuel personally, said he was "a beautiful person inside and out".

"Since Saturday evening a real cloud of gloom and darkness, and a real sombre air has been over the whole town and whole community."

Last week Emmanuel had taken part in the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs Global Ireland Young Leaders programme.

After completing the programme Emmanuel wrote: "I had the amazing opportunity to meet the Ambassador of Ireland and visit the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade — including the passport office!

"It was such a great experience learning about Ireland's work around the world. Grateful for the warm welcome and inspiring day."

In a statement, the department said it was "shocked and saddened" to learn of his death.

"He was one of 30 Transition Year students from across the country learning about the work of the department and meeting officials engaged in different parts of its work," a spokesperson said.

"Emmanuel was clearly a bright, engaging, and popular young man, and his passing comes as a great shock to everyone who spent time with him."