DECLAN FAMILY’S DOUBLE DROWNING TRAGEDY
Sister died at same age 7 years ago
THE heartbroken family of a man killed in a Christmas Day river tragedy also lost a daughter to drowning, it emerged yesterday.
Childhood friends Martin Needham, 26, and 27-year-old Declan Davitt were swept to their deaths when their 4x4 was swallowed up by the Carrowniskey River in Co Mayo.
Another pal in the car survived. A relative of Declan tearfully told how the childhood friends were confident they could make it across the normally shallow stretch, adding: “They probably thought they were safe.” In a terrible twist, it was the Davitt family’s second loss to drowning after Declan’s sister Kathleen died off the West coast in the same week in 2010 – also aged 27.
She had been living in the Monivea area of Galway and had been missing for more than a week when her body was recovered on the shore between Oranmore and Roscam.
One resident of the Carrowniskey area, near Louisburgh, said yesterday: “Christmas is not only on hold, it has been forgotten about altogether.”
The three men were returning from a Christmas Eve night out when tragedy struck at around 2.30am as they tried to drive across the river, which is usually passable by car.
Brave 19-year-old driver Tom Mcgrail went back to try to rescue his pals from the submerged vehicle.
Local sources said he made it back to the river’s edge but returned to the water in a desperate bid to reach his friends.
However, the SUV was swept away by a powerful current.
Mr Mcgrail then struggled to a local farmhouse and raised the alarm.
Martin and Declan’s bodies were recovered at around 4pm on Christmas Day from a lake near Louisburgh, just before the river empties into the Atlantic. Peter Sweeney from Louisburgh, a relative of Declan’s, said in normal conditions vehicles can easily traverse the Carrowniskey River and enter and exit the village of Roonith.
But it had been swollen by torrential rain in the previous few days.
He added: “The lads were in a good, strong, jeep. They probably thought they were safe.”
Both victims had been friends since school and worked for a time, though not together, in New Zealand for agricultural contractors.
Mr Sweeney explained: “Since they returned from New Zealand the boys were once again inseparable. They were deeply involved in agricultural work and were passionate about tractors and other farm machinery.”
Both men were single and heavily involved in their local Macra na Feirme group.
Its chairman Colm Clarke wrote on Facebook: “There’s no words to describe today, waking up this morning, looking forward to a nice quiet day, everyone’s world was shattered by the news that our two good friends had been lost.
“Thank God they were recovered before dark. All I can say is, I’ll miss
you Martin and Declan, two sound men, thick as thieves, lived most of their lives in each other’s pockets, where you would see one the other was never far away.
“As tragically was the case today too, no sooner as we had Martin recovered, Declan wasn’t far away.
“R.I.P. lads, you’ve both left a huge void in all our lives and it was an honour to have known you both. Slan boys.” Martin is survived by his parents, Pat Joe and Breege, sisters, Olivia, Patricia, Caitriona and Elaine and their families.
Declan is survived by his parents, Walter and Mary, a brother Christopher and sisters Mary and Patricia. Martin’s funeral will take place at midday tomorrow in the Church of the Holy Family, Killeen, Louisburgh. Declan’s funeral will be held the following day at midday in the same church.
The families of both men have requested that donations, in lieu of flowers, be given to emergency services and local volunteers in appreciation of the huge search effort on Christmas Day.
Postmortems on both men were due to be carried out yesterday at Mayo University Hospital in Castlebar.
A full forensic investigation into the circumstances of the tragedy is already under way. As part of the probe, the vehicle the men were in will be subjected to a rigorous technical examination.
Mayo TD and Rural Minister Michael Ring, said: “I would like to express my sincere condolences to the families of Declan Davitt and Martin Needham who have died in such tragic circumstances. I know the families of both men very well.
“People throughout Mayo are shocked by this terrible tragedy.
“The community in Louisburgh shares the grief of the families and will support them in the difficult times ahead.”
You’ve left a huge void in all our lives and it was an honour to have known you both
COLM CLARKE MACRA NA FEIRME GROUP FACEBOOK PAGE YESTERDAY