Hero Davitt Walsh recounts the Buncrana tragedy in heartbreaking interview
We’re still reeling from the devastating tragedy in Buncrana where Sean McGrotty, 49, sons Mark, 12, and Evan, 8, his mother-in-law Ruth Daniels, 59, and her daughter, Jodie Lee, 14, lost their lives when the car they were in slid off the Buncrana pier slipway and plunged into Lough Swilly.
The only survivor was Sean’s 4-month old baby daughter Rionaghac-Ann, who was rescued by 29-year old Davitt Walsh when he sprung to action and entered the water to try and save the family.
In a heartbreaking interview with RTÉ, hero Davitt, who suffered cuts and shocks after his ordeal, spoke about how he saved Rionaghac-Ann’s life.
“I wanted to help more people but the water was coming in,” he told RTÉ, “and he [Sean] just looked at me and said, ‘Save my baby’ and then I took the baby and I held it over my head and then I swam back to shore, and that’s what happened.”
Interview with Davitt Walsh, who saved baby Rionaghac-Ann in yesterday’s tragedy in Buncrana https://t.co/a228dN4yDu
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) March 21, 2016
So incredibly sad. What an amazingly selfless man to rush to save another's life without any thought to his own safety. Davitt, we salute you.