A father who died alongside his two sons, mother-in-law and sister-in-law when his car slipped off a pier was more than three times the legal drink-drive limit, an inquest has heard.
Sean McGrotty, 46, was behind the wheel of his Audi Q7 jeep when it slid off a ‘treacherous’ slipway in Buncrana, Donegal, and sunk beneath the waters of the Lough Swilly.
With him in the car were his sons Mark, 11, and eight-year-old Evan, his mother-in-law Ruth Daniels, 57, and her 14-year-old daughter Jodie-Lee Tracey, all of whom died.
Sean McGrotty (back left) and his sons Mark, 12, and Evan, eight (pictured front) died when the Audi they were in plunged off a pier and into the water. Their baby sister Rionaghac-Ann (pictured with their mother Louise James, who was not involved in the crash) survived
Ms James’s mother Ruth Daniels, 57, (left) and Ms Daniels’s teenage daughter Jodie-Lee Tracey, 14, (right) also died
His four-month-old daughter Rionaghac-Ann was the sole survivor after being plucked to safety by a hero bypasser.
Today, at an inquest into the five deaths, consultant pathologist Dr Katrina Dillon told the coroner that Mr McGrotty’s blood alcohol level was 159ml per 100ml of blood when he died. The legal limit is 50ml.
Davitt Walsh, 28 (pictured today outside the inquest), rescued a four-month-old baby from a sinking car when five other members of her family drowned inside
But, on cross-examination, Dr Dillon said she could not say how that level of alcohol would have impaired Mr McGrotty, because it would depend on whether he was ‘habitual or accustomed.’
Earlier in the inquest, Davitt Walsh, who saved the four-month-old girl from the tragedy, told how he desperately tried to rescue the newborn’s brother as the tragedy unfolded.
Mr Walsh had been walking near the pier when he saw the car sinking below the water.
Without a moment’s hesitation, he stripped down to his underwear, diving into the water and swimming towards the vehicle in an attempt to rescue those inside.
As he battled to avert tragedy, Mr Walsh managed to pull Rionaghac-Ann to safety, after Mr McGrotty passed her out through the smashed driver’s window.
But today, in evidence, Mr Walsh described how he had also tried to save one of the other children who was screaming for help inside the jeep.
Tragically, as he attempted to haul the boy to safety, the child’s foot got caught in the car. Mr Walsh was then forced to let go of the boy’s hand to ensure he was also not pulled under.
It is not known which of the two boys he was trying to save.
Describing the harrowing ordeal, Mr Walsh said: ‘I reached in and grabbed the wee boy. I tried to pull him out but he seemed to get stuck on something.
‘Just as I was trying to pull him out of the car, the water rushed in and I had to let go. I had to let go because I was struggling as hard as I could to avoid getting sucked into the water.
‘The father climbed back into the car, looked back and me and said “save my baby”. The water gushed in and the car went under the water.’
Mr Walsh had been out with his girlfriend Stephanie Knox after playing football for his team Fanad United when she spotted the car in the water.
Hero: Mr Walsh was pictured cradling baby Rionaghac-Ann after he risked his life to save her
The tragic brothers are pictured with their sister, who survived when her father passed her out of the car window to a hero who jumped in the water to try and save them all
Ms James, who was at a hen do in Liverpool when the tragedy took place, is pictured with her baby daughter and son Evan
He swam out to the jeep, where he found Mr McGrotty trying to smash the driver’s window with his elbow.
After managing to shatter the pane, Mr McGrotty handed Mr Walsh the little girl as he shouted ‘save the baby, save my baby’, the inquest heard.
Mr Walsh then took the baby from his hands, giving Mr McGrotty room to sit up onto the driver’s window ledge.
As he did so, one of the boys attempted to crawl out and managed to grab Mr Walsh’s hand.
But, as Mr Walsh tried to pull him to safety, the child’s leg got stuck in the car, causing water to rush into the jeep. The vehicle then sank beneath the water.
Amazingly, Mr Walsh managed to swim 25m back to the pier with the baby held in the air.
When he made it back to the slipway – which was said to be ‘treacherous’ with algae – he handed the baby to his girlfriend and collapsed with exhaustion.
He said: ‘I could hardly breath, I was so tired. A man came and pulled me off the algae. I was freezing and knew I had to get warm.’
Mr Walsh – who has since been awarded a gold medal for bravery at sea – suffered cuts to his feet which he was treated for in hospital.
The former footballer said he had been aware that the algae would be slippery, but that a stranger would not have been aware of the dangers.
By the time the RNLI lifesavers reached the scene the Londonderry family’s car had disappeared into the water and the victims were floating in the water.
The inquest also heard from Francis Crawford, the first person at the scene.
He told the hearing how he and his wife Kay had parked on the slipway just after 7pm when he saw a black people carrier in the water at the bottom.
He remarked to his wife that ‘there was something badly wrong’ before shouting at the person in the car – Mr McGrotty – who urged him to get help.
Mr Crawford – who said he could hear children crying inside the car – then dialled 999 and the coastguard, who took 12 minutes to arrive.
Mr Walsh then arrived at the scene and, after asking him if he could swim, Mr Crawford urged the young man to jump in the water.
He told the inquest: ‘The car was floating, bobbing in the water, 10 to 15 yards from the slipway, and slowly floating, bobbing off to the right of the slipway.
Francis Crawford (pictured today outside the hearing), phoned 999 when he saw the car in the water. He told the inquest the car was ‘slowly floating, bobbing off to the right of the slipway’
Coroner Dr Denis McCauley (second from right) with Irish Water Safety CEO John Leech (second from left) and Garda Siochana members Inspector David Murphy and Sgt Mark Traynor at Buncrana Pier
‘I could still hear people and the child screaming from the car, all the time the car must have been taking on water.
‘I was hoping that the emergency services would arrive and the car would not go down.’
He added: ‘I could hear sirens, the nose of the car dipped… and the car sank to the bottom.’
Mr Crawford said he continued to hear screaming from those inside but he soon saw Mr Walsh coming back to the slipway with a baby in his arms.
Mr Walsh then described to him how he tried to get another boy out, but that his leg had got caught.
He added that he hoped Mr Walsh would be able to return to the water but that he was simply exhausted.
The inquest also heard from Garda Sergeant Mark Traynor, who said officers were on the scene within four or five minutes when there was no sign of the car.
He agreed the algae was thick and very slippy on the pier and that his colleagues were aware of this.
Later, in evidence, John McLaughlin, a director at Donegal County Council, admitted no signs had been installed warning the slipway could be slippery.
He said the pier was rarely used in winter and was usually only cleaned to facilitate the summer ferry.
The inquest also heard that the gate leading down to the slipway was open and cars allowed to enter onto it as they wished.
Ms James and her brother Josh are pictured carrying their mother’s coffin into the family home
The family died when the car slid off Buncrana Pier and into the waters of Lough Swilly in Donegal (pictured) on March 20 last year
A gate has since been locked, barring access to the slipway, and extra life buoys placed nearby.
There had also been no risk assessment carried out there for 15 years, but that, after the incident, the council commissioned consultants to draw up a report.
The solicitor for Donegal County Council, Mr Michael Staines, said that almost every pier had algae on it.
During cross examination, Sgt Traynor told the inquest that a file had been prepared on the incident and sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
He said the recommendation from the DPP was that nobody was to be prosecuted.
The jury inquest, which will hear evidence from 12 witnesses, is expected to last two days.