The death of a father and his two children in Co Donegal has had a "devastating effect" on the local community, a local councillor says.
John Mullan (49), his son Tomás (14) and daughter Amelia (6) died after their car plunged into a lake last night a Quigley's Point on Lough Foyle.
The mother Geraldine managed to escape the car and get help. She is now being treated in hospital.
Donegal TD Charlie McConalogue said it's a horrific situation and the locals in the area are in shock.
Terry Crossan, Sinn Féin councillor in Donegal, told The Hard Shoulder that the family - who are from Moville - were making their way home from a night out when the crash happened.
He said: "The weather was quite bad - there was heavy rain and strong winds and heavy gusts.
"To compound matters, there was a really high tide - there were waves crashing up against the embankment onto the main road."
It's believed the family's car left the road and then fell down the embankment, where the water level was higher than normal due to the exceptionally high tide.
'Devastating'
Mr Crossan said he doesn't know the family personally, but they are very well-known in their local area.
He said: "They were a family who were held in the very highest of esteem.
"It has had a devastating effect on the Moville community. Likewise, the community of Quigley's Point are very much devastated also.
"I have to commend the action of the local people, who were first on the scene.
"They helped as best as they could by trying to get some sort of illumination into the immediate area to help with the search, until the emergency services arrived."
