Donegal pier deaths: More details emerging of final moments before tragedy

The five people who drowned in Buncrana pier last night  were a woman in her 50s, one of her daughters, the partner of another daughter and two of his children.

The man's young baby was rescued and is said to be in a stable condition in hospital.

The mother of the children was not in the area at the time of the accident.

All of those who died were from Derry city.

Flowers were being left at the scent his morning by shocked locals.

The Northern Ireland-registered large vehicle slipped from Buncrana jetty into Lough Swilly shortly after 7pm last night.

An eye witness has described how he shouted to the driver of the car when it was caught on the slipway of the pier.

Local man Francis Crawford said the driver asked him to call the coast guard, which he did, but that within ten minutes the car had disappeared.

Mr Crawford said another local man swam out to the car and rescued the baby.

"I was hoping against hope and praying ... that the car would stay afloat knowing that everybody [emergency services] was on their way.

"And then just all of a sudden the whole lot just went under the water.

"And that was it, and all within ten minutes, the family was gone, except the wee baby."

He said that there was nothing he or anyone else could do and the emergency services arrived quickly.

"The divers were here from Derry, the ambulances were here, the fire service was here, the lifeboat was here, the coast guard was here, the helicopter was here. Everybody did what they could do but it was too late."

Mr Crawford said it was heartbreaking to witness the event.

RNLI personnel say the vehicle sank in about 3.5 metres of water.