Brother and sister swept to deaths in sea tragedy

Post mortem examinations were due to be carried out today on the bodies of a five-year-old boy and his teenage sister who died as they played in the sea with an inflatable raft.

Niall Murphy and his sister Patricia, 15, from Belmullet, Co Mayo, got into trouble yesterday afternoon when they were 100 yards from the shore and were carried away by an offshore wind.

The coastguard was alerted shortly before 3pm and an Air Corps helicopter from Sligo joined a local lifeboat in the search for the pair in Broadhaven Bay.

Niall’s body was found just before 3.30pm and Patricia’s 10 minutes later.

It is understood that unsuccessful attempts were made to resuscitate them before the bodies were taken to Mayo General Hospital, Castlebar.

Post mortem examinations were likely to be carried out this morning, a police spokesman said.