'A black cloud over Buncrana' - Teenagers who died in Lough Swilly tragedy named locally

A vigil will take place in Buncrana, County Donegal on Sunday afternoon for teenagers Matt Sibanda and Emmanuel Familola who died following a horrific tragedy in Lough Swilly.

The Buncrana community will gather for a sombre ‘vigil of hope’ which will be led by the Bishop of Derry, Donal McKeown, in St Mary’s Oratory at 4pm.

A dark cloud has fallen over the Inishowen peninsula following the devastating incident which saw Matt and Emmanuel lose their lives.

Matt came to Donegal with his family from Zimbabwe while Emmanuel, a Nigerian national, has also been living with his family in the Buncrana area. 

Matt was a student at Crana College while Emmanuel attended Scoil Mhuire. 

The school communities are in a state of shock and comforting each other while Buncrana Hearts FC have announced that their games in the Inishowen Youth and Schoolboys League have been called off. 

Buncrana Parish Priest Fr Francis Bradley attended the scene at Buncrana Pier on Saturday evening.

“Witnessing a mother doing her best to revive her son, her child,” Fr Bradley recalled at Sunday morning Mass. “As she spoke his name, over and over again.”

The scene at Buncrana Pier as the search operation took place. Photo: Joe Boland (North West Newspix)

Three teenagers got into difficulty while swimming and, after alarm was raised by a member of the public at around 4pm, the Malin Head Coastguard mounted a massive multi-agency operation.

A third teenager, also a juvenile, was able to swim ashore and he is said to be in a comfortable condition in hospital.

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The body of Matt Sibanda was removed from the water shortly after 9pm by the Greencastle Coastguard between Ned’s Point and Fahan. 

Earlier, Emmanuel Familola was plucked from the water and rushed to Letterkenny University Hospital where doctors battled in vain to save his life. However, he passed away overnight. 

The coroner for County Donegal, Dr Denis McAuley, has been notified and post-mortem examinations on the remains of the two teenagers will be arranged in due course.

Fr Bradley said: “Despite the brightness and the beauty around us, we mourn the deaths of two of our parishioners in Lough Swilly.

“We pray for them. We pray for their families. We try to come to terms, yet again, with tragedy and sorrow on our coast.”

Gardai and Coast Guard comb the shoreline. Photo: Joe Boland (North West Newspix)

Several family members and close friends stood at the shore front frantically awaiting news after the alert was sounded.

Lifeboats scoured the calm waters of Lough Swilly while a fleet of local seamen combed areas closer to the coastline in a desperate search for the body of the missing male.

Several local lifeboat units were dispatched to the scene and the Rescue 118 helicopter and local Garda units were involved. Around a dozen local vessels also assisted in an area of the water close to Ludden Beach.

Sinn Fein Councillor Jack Murray, the Cathaoirleach of the Inishowen Municipal District said: “The sadness is unimaginable and once again Buncrana and the Inishowen area has been hit with such an unthinkable tragedy.

“Everybody across the community is numb with this news. These people and their families are in our thoughts.

 “Our emergency services have once again demonstrated courage and professionalism in unthinkable circumstances. We have been hit with so many tragedies and horrendous events in this area. Each time the emergency services are called upon, they stand up without fail.”

Fianna Fáil Councillor Fionan Bradley said: "Buncrana and indeed Inishowen is simply numb from the news of this awful tragedy, which unfolded yesterday evening. 

“There's a black cloud over Buncrana yet again. For these three boys to go to the beach and enjoy the beautiful weather, the same as so many others their age, and then for tragedy to strike like this is simply incomprehensible.

“I know the Buncrana and Inishowen community will rally around them and support them in the days and months ahead, as always we do in times of tragedy. I would like to think the Coast Guard and all the search and rescue units and members of the public who were on scene for their assistance in the search.”