30 August 2022
Mark Deeney, Western Area Commander, Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) said:
“The thoughts and sympathies of Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) are with the families and friends of those affected by a tragic drowning incident at Enagh Lough in the Temple Road area of Derry/Londonderry.
“Yesterday evening (Monday 29 August 2022) at 6.31pm Firefighters were called to a water rescue incident at Temple Road near Strathfoyle. 3 Fire Appliances from Crescent Link Fire Station including a Specialist Water Rescue Team, 2 Fire Appliances from Northland Fire Station, 1 Fire Appliance from Strabane Fire Station and a Specialist Rescue Team from Central Fire Station attended the incident. On arrival we were informed that two teenage boys were missing in the water approximately 5 metres from the end of a jetty. Members of the Water Rescue Team from Crescent Link immediately entered the water and, supported by other personnel, were able to recover one of the boys within 20 minutes. He was transferred to hospital by NIAS but sadly did not survive.”
“Firefighters along with other emergency services continued searching for the second boy but were unable to locate him. His body was recovered just before midnight after an extensive search by Foyle Search and Rescue and a dive team deployed by the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
“Despite the tragic outcome I would like to commend the efforts of our crews at the scene who worked tirelessly in an attempt to rescue the boys. Working in partnership with our colleagues in the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and Foyle Search and Rescue, everything possible was done to give them the best chance of survival. We are continuing to support our Crews today and indeed our colleagues in our Regional Control Centre with specialist debriefs following this challenging incident.”