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Community 'devastated' over young boy's fatal drowning

RTÉ A beach that sits in front of a cloudless blue horizon. To the right of the frame is a strip of sand that ha green trees above and behind it. The sea dominates the left of the frame, with a stoney, mossy beach in the foreground of the photo. RTÉ
Lissabell Beach had attracted big numbers in recent days, a local councillor said

There is shock and devastation in the community near a County Sligo beach over the death of a young boy who got into difficulty in the water on Saturday.

A local councillor, Fianna Fáil's Donal Gilroy, said news of the young boy's death had caused great sadness around Lissadell Beach.

The boy has been named locally as seven-year-old Alan Singh, from Ballisodare, County Sligo, Irish national broadcaster RTÉ reported.

The alarm was raised shortly after 15:30 local time on Saturday when a member of the public spotted the boy in the water.

He was airlifted by an Irish Coast Guard helicopter to Sligo University Hospital on Saturday afternoon in a serious condition, gardaí (Irish police) said.

He later died in hospital.

Gardaí said investigations are ongoing.

Prayers were offered for the boy's family at nearby Maugherow Church, with parish priest Fr Tom Hever telling RTÉ that people were devastated by the news.

Mr Gilroy said local people were shocked, adding that Lissadell Beach had attracted "big numbers" during the recent spell of good weather.

"People are devastated to hear that a little boy has lost his life and our thoughts are very much with his family at this time."

RTÉ A woman with long brown hair and pink shaded sunglasses, holds her child. The child has a pink floral bucket hat on, pink dress and sucks a yellow dummy. Her mother wears a black t-shirt with two full ringed hands on it. Behind her is the blue sea and green moss rocks that sit on the sand of the beach. People are walking along the sand in the background. RTÉ
Suraya McDonagh witnessed the events at Lissadell beach.

A woman who was on the beach with her children when the boy got into difficulty said "everybody was happy here playing and absolutely loving the fine weather".

"We seen the helicopter coming and noticed then that someone was performing CPR on a person a good bit away from us," Suraya McDonald told RTÉ.

"But by that stage, the helicopter had landed at the scene. It all happened pretty quick."

She added: "It's heartbreaking and I don't think anyone could ever understand how anyone would feel in that situation."