Grief as Nigerian teen, companion die in Ireland swimming accident
Grief as Nigerian teen, companion die in Ireland swimming accident
A 16-year-old Nigerian, Emmanuel Familola, has been confirmed dead after drowning during a swimming outing in the Buncrana community of Ireland.
His body was recovered following a search and rescue operation by emergency services.
Ebony Herald International Magazine gathered on Monday, via a report by Irish media outlet Raidió Teilifís Éireann, that the tragedy occurred on Saturday, May 10, when Emmanuel and two other teenagers got into difficulty while swimming.
According to the report, a search and rescue team was deployed to the area after witnesses raised an alarm.
“The body of a teenager has been recovered from waters off the coast of Co Donegal after three teenagers got into difficulty while swimming in Lough Swilly yesterday afternoon.
“The body was discovered last night between Ned’s Point and Fahan, close to the town of Buncrana, and was removed to Letterkenny University Hospital. It followed an extensive air and sea rescue operation to locate the missing teenager.
“The alarm was raised after the teenagers, aged between 16 and 19, encountered difficulty while swimming around 4 p.m. One of the teenagers managed to swim ashore.
A third was pulled from the sea and taken to Letterkenny General Hospital, where he remains in critical condition.”
Meanwhile, a member of the Irish Parliament representing the Donegal Constituency, Padraig Mac Lochlainn, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for the burial of the deceased teenagers.
He confirmed that two of the teenagers; Emmanuel Familola and 18-year-old Matt Sibanda lost their lives in the incident.
In a message shared on his Facebook page, Mac Lochlainn described the deaths as heartbreaking, saying, “There has been widespread shock and sadness following the deaths of 16-year-old Emmanuel Familola and 18-year-old Matt Sibanda in the drowning tragedy.”
He added, “A GoFundMe page has just been set up by Insight Inishowen to raise funds to help cover the funeral costs for their devastated families.”
Checks on the GoFundMe platform revealed that a total of €41,515 had been raised, surpassing the €40,000 target.
A message on the fundraising page indicated that the proceeds would be equally distributed between the families of the deceased.
“As one of the member groups of The Exchange Community Centre, on behalf of the whole Buncrana community that has been devastated by Saturday’s tragic loss of two beautiful teenagers, Insight Inishowen is raising funds to support the grieving families.
“Having had the privilege to know the boys and their families, we are heartbroken by their loss and want to do all we can to ease the financial burden at a time of such unimaginable pain.
“Please join us in supporting them in their darkest hour. As a registered charity, Insight Inishowen will ensure that every penny raised is shared equally between the two families,” the message read.
