The parents of little Ben Duffy were just metres from him when he was swept away on a dinghy and drowned.
The five-year-old was playing with his siblings on a small inflatable when tragedy struck on Lough Mask on Bank Holiday Monday.
His body was found by search and rescue crews at around 8.30am on Tuesday on the northwestern section of the Co Mayo lake.
Following the discovery, distraught parents Alan and Tracey were being comforted by relatives and friends in the shell-shocked community.
Ben was the youngest of five siblings with three brothers and one sister.
The family, who live just yards from Lough Mask, were enjoying the Bank Holiday sunshine when the tragedy happened.
The children had been playing in the water when the small dinghy carrying Ben drifted away from the shore at Treen, Tourmakeady.
It is understood mum Tracey and dad Alan were only metres from the inflatable but within seconds, the youngster had fallen into the lake.
A source said: “Everyone was nearby and his dad Alan and others were in the water and went after the dinghy.
“But he wasn’t in the dinghy when they got to it.
“If only he had managed to stay in the dinghy he would have been recovered but sadly, he fell out.”
The alarm was raised at approximately 6.15pm on Monday and Corrib Mask Search and Rescue, the Coast Guard, Civil Defence, local divers and fishermen spent hours trawling the area looking for the missing boy.
A Sikorsky S-92 aircraft flew from Shannon Airport at 8.12pm and took over the operation until nightfall.
Meanwhile, divers from the Grainne Uaile Sub Aqua Club and local fishermen kept a continuous presence on the water, while dozens of neighbours patrolled
the lakeshore.
Despite living just across the road from the lough, Alan and Tracey, supported by relatives, stayed at the scene throughout the night as they waited for news.
Ben was a junior infants pupil at Scoil Naisiunta Tuar Mhic Eadaigh, having started at the Gaelscoil last September.
Local parish priest, Fr John Kenny, said the local community was devastated by the tragedy. He added: “I baptised Ben and he had the biggest, loveliest eyes you ever saw in a young lad.
“I would say he was the dote of the family, full of life and they will greatly miss him.
“Alan and Tracey and the children are a hugely popular family in this parish and very actively involved in the life of the community.
“They’d always be involved in lots of local events, particularly anything to do with fundraising for the school and anything that was focussed on GAA.
“They would be key people in the community and hugely involved in not just the fundraising but the wellbeing
of the community.
“They ran the Operation Transformation event we did in the community a few years ago and it had a very high profile throughout the district.
“Tracey’s family lives in England so that will add to the sense of loss for them.”
