An investigation is continuing into the deaths of three teenagers whose car entered the water at Menlo Pier in Galway shortly before 3am yesterday.
Gardaí have said they plan to interview witnesses who were in a second car at the pier and alerted the emergency services when the incident occurred.
John Keenan, 16, Wojcieck Panek, 17, and Christy Stokes, 19, died after their car entered the River Corrib in Co Galway in the early hours of yesterday morning.
Gardaí received a report of a car in the water at Menlo Pier at around 2.40am.
The three teenagers were taken from the water and transferred to University Hospital Galway, where they later died.
Chief Superintendent Gerry Roche, who is heading the investigation, said the team put their own lives on the line to try to save the teenagers but sadly all three passed away.
Boxing clubs across Connacht have been paying tribute to the teenagers.
John Keenan and Christy Stokes were due to attend the Connacht Championship in Castlerea in Co Roscommon this weekend.
Young boxers from the Olympic Club in Galway's westside are putting their hearts into the finals just like John and Christy, who were members since childhood.
Today, a shrine has been erected at The Hub in Castlerea in memory of the teenagers who lost their lives.
Christy Stokes' young cousins (below) warmly remember him. Tony Ward, Kieran McDonagh and Bradley McDonagh said Christy was kind, funny and a tough boxer. They saw him all the time and said they "got into boxing over him".
Mike Mongan, one of the head coaches at the Olympic Boxing Club, said: "The club is a sanctuary for these young boys. It keeps them on the straight and narrow and off the streets.
"We're devastated this weekend but we have to look after the 12 and 13-year-olds and protect them.
"These boys and girls depend on us and we will be watching them even more now. We're in such a cloud of grief."
John Mongan, another senior coach at the Olympic Boxing Club, said: "The buzz is gone. We're here because we've made the finals and worked and trained so hard. But the loss of John and Christy is heartbreaking.
"John is a lovely lad and had won a county championship in Conamara two weeks ago. Christy had returned to the sport he loved in recent times and we were delighted to see him back.
"Two exceptional young men that I was talking to just days ago. This is going to take some time to sink in."
Galway Boxing County Secretary Sean Clancy said: "The Olympic boxing club and management have been incredible this weekend.
"To be able to prepare their boxers and get them ready for championships and get them into the ring and kind of do it in a respectful way is a credit to to everyone involved in the club.
"I know how good these coaches are in the Olympic to their boxers. How they hold themselves when there's so much pain.
"The deaths of these young men is tragic. But somehow they keep going for the sake of all these young boxers."
