A Co Donegal man who drowned when his car slipped off the pier at Arranmore Island was himself a lifeboat volunteer.
Lee Early (26), from Arranmore, died when his car entered the sea at Poolawaddy at around 5am yesterday.
A 30-year-old man who was also in the car managed to get out and reach the shore.
It is understood Mr Early had been trying to turn his car on the pier when tragedy struck.
His Arranmore Lifeboat colleagues were called out to attempt a rescue.
The dead man’s father, James Early, is coxswain of the island's lifeboat and the crew worked desperately to save their friend but were unable to do so.
Mr Early’s death echoed the 2016 Buncrana Pier tragedy when five members of the same extended family drowned in a similar accident in Co Donegal.
Sean McGrotty (49), his sons, Mark (12) and Evan (8), their grandmother Ruth Daniels (57), and her daughter Jodie-Lee (14) died when Mr McGrotty’s car slid on algae into the sea.
Donegal man Davitt Walsh swam from the pier to the sinking vehicle and managed to rescue Mr McGrotty’s four-month-old daughter Ríoghnach when her father passed the baby through the window.
Arranmore Island lies just three miles off Burtonport and is home to around 450 people.
The island is hugely popular with holiday makers and northern Irish language students and runs language courses throughout the summer months.
A native of Arranmore, Mr Early worked on the island’s ferry service which operates between the island and Burtonport.
A spokesman for the ferry company said they had lost their “skipper and friend”.
“While working with us, the very talented Lee became the youngest commercial passenger ship skipper in the country, at the young age of 20," he said.
“Our deepest condolences to his sister, Rachael, our office manager, parents Jimmy and Noreen, brother Adam, sister Laura and all the extended family and friends. Lee will be sorely missed by us all at the Blue Ferry.”
RNLI spokesman Owen Medland also paid tribute to Mr Early.
“The deceased was one of our volunteers and was very close to us. He was a super young man who would be a loss to any community never mind a small community.
“As an organisation our thoughts are with the family, our volunteer crew who fought valiantly to save the young man’s life and the wider Arranmore community.
"We would like to assure the community that after what appears was a tragic accident, we are maintaining our lifeboat service on the island which is further testimony to the crew in Arranmore.”
Political representatives also paid tribute to Mr Early and his family.
West Donegal Fianna Fáil TD Pat 'the Cope' Gallagher said they were dedicated Arranmore Island residents, while party colleague and councillor Noreen McGarvey described Mr Early’s death as a “horrendous, tragic accident”.
