Father and 2 kids plunge to their deaths after car skids off the road and falls into Lough Foyle

A father and his two children died Thursday night after their vehicle skidded off the road and plunged into the embankment of Lough Foyle in the northern coast of Ireland. The mother, Geraldine Mullan was able to get out of their black SUV and call for help. According to police reports in County Donegal, the family was returning home after a trip from a bowling alley in the village Muff in Donegal when their car crashed along Three Trees in Quigley's point.

The father, 49-year-old John Mullan, was on the wheel with Geraldine sitting upfront on the passenger seat. Both children Amelia, 6, and Tomas,14, were both in the rear seat. Gardai Irish police authorities said the driver had "lost control of the vehicle and it skidded across the road and down the embankment and plunged into the water." The crash occurred around 10:20 local time, with a heavy downpour reported in the area at the time of the fatal accident.

Reports from BBC said a local resident who was part of the rescue team did not even realise that the bodies he helped pull out of the water were those of his neighbours.

County priest Fr. Farren, who was at the crash to comfort the mother, described the scene saying her sobs echoed through the sombre silence as the emergency rescue workers worked to retrieve the bodies.

"She was completely shocked... totally distressed, and I was with her when we prayed with the three deceased," Fr Farren said.

"Seeing two children lying dead beside their father, that was the traumatic part of last night's tragedy."

The priest prayed with the mother at the crash scene for a short time after which, despite her grief, she thanked everyone who came to help.

"At the end, before she was moved to hospital, she was going round thanking everybody for what they had done, which was an amazing thing in itself that she was thinking of other people." Fr. Farren said.

Geraldine Mullan was then taken to the hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries as the remains of her family were also brought for post mortem procedures in the same facility.