The death of two teenage boys has brought together the Buncrana community in which they lived, said locals on Monday. But persistent safety issues regarding the sea, resulting in the loss of lives over the years, were also highlighted.
Emmanuel Familola (16) and Matt Sibanda (18) died after getting into difficulty in the water close to Ned’s Point at about 4pm on Saturday.
It is understood that the teenagers were trying to retrieve a ball from the water after playing a game with some other friends. Mr Familola’s younger brother was also there.
After the two boys entered the water and got into difficulty, a third teenager entered the water to try to help them before swimming back to shore. He was recovering on Monday at Letterkenny University Hospital.
The teenagers who died had been living in two different International Protection centres in the area, but are said to have been great friends.
They came to Ireland approximately two years ago with their mothers and younger siblings. Mr Familola and his family came from Nigeria and Mr Sibanda and his family were from Zimbabwe.
Local Fianna Fáil Cllr Fionán Bradley, who taught Mr Familola at Scoil Mhuire in Buncrana for a time, remembered his “big, broad smile” and described him as a “gentle giant, a really beautiful individual I know people always say these things after something like this, but for him they are true.”
Both, he said, had “fully immersed themselves into the community”.
[ Vigil for two teenagers who drowned trying to retrieve football from the seaOpens in new window ]
Noting a vigil on Sunday evening during which St Mary’s Oratory in the town was full with other members of the community standing outside, Cllr Bradley said: “I’ve never seen anything like it in the parish
“For new members of the community, it’s an act of solidarity ... It shows them [the families] that we will be with them now and in time to come.
“Unfortunately, the area of Buncrana and the Inishowen Peninsula are no strangers to tragic incidents like these. ‘Why us? Why again?’ were the words on everyone’s lips.”
A manager of one of the International Protection centres in Buncrana said he believed “people’s mindsets in the town are changing towards refugees ... Families have been destroyed. Everyone can relate to that in Buncrana.
“I can’t count the amount of deaths in the area. The local swimming pool closed, we lost out on the grant to Letterkenny, children can’t learn to swim and there is no lifeguard in a recreational swimming area.
“There are generations of kids growing up not knowing how to swim.”
Another local, who did not wish to be named, said “the children in the area, this close to the water, need education about rip currents, shelves, drop-off points. Two young boys lost their lives over a football. We need education around the water”.
Local Sinn Féin Cllr Jack Murray said: “The community in Buncrana is numbed. They were popular and respected boys at school. All of Matt’s friends were weeping.”
He said that if there’s any positive to take from this, it’s the strength of the community.
