A WOMAN who saw a family-of-five drown after their car slid off a pier into the sea is suing their estate for "loss of earnings" after suffering from post-traumatic stress.

Stephanie Knox comforted a four-month-old baby rescued by her then-boyfriend Davitt Walsh when the jeep slipped off into Buncrana Pier in Co. Donegal, Ireland in March 2016.

6 Stephanie Knox who saw a family-of-five drown after their car slid off a pier into the sea is suing their estate for 'loss of earnings' Credit: Facebook

Brave Davitt swam out to the car and rescued the young child before Knox, a nurse, wrapped the baby up and waited for the emergency services to arrive.

In a statement shared last night believed to be posted by Knox on Facebook, she said she believed the claim would have been against Donegal County Council and an insurance company.

“Never in my life did I think it would be coming from the family,” she wrote.

She said lodged a claim because she had been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder since the tragedy, according to The Irish News.

6 Stephanie comforted a four-month-old baby rescued by her then-boyfriend Davitt Walsh Credit: Newspix

Previously, the family of those who drowned have revealed that Knox, a cardiac physiologist, has served them with a legal letter.

Grandad Noel McGrotty, 86 - whose son and grandsons were killed in the tragedy - was shocked to receive the notice on behalf of Knox on the eve of the second anniversary of their death.

A solicitor for Ms Knox told The Irish News that she contacted him after news of the letter broke yesterday.

Maoliosa Barr, of Barr and Company Solicitors in Derry, said "she did not send any letter to the McGrotty family".

6 Garda pictured at the scene in 2016 Credit: PA:Press Association

The paper said the letter was sent by the Dublin-based Personal Injuries Assessment Board, which provides independent assessments of non-medical compensation claims in the Republic of Ireland.

Mr Barr added: "She is making a claim, on the advice of her legal team, against Donegal County Council and the estate for injuries sustained.”

Knox's sister Laura also took to social media to blast the backlash her sibling received as a result of the claim.

She said: "Stephanie would never be as spiteful to claim off an 86 year old man. She was under the impression that the claim was against the Donegal Council."

6 Sean’s mother-in-law Ruth Daniels was killed in the tragedy

She continued: "That day has ruined her life forever witnessing five people die in front of her and her life will never be the same. So before you go and give your opinion think of what she may already be going through as it is."

The Sun has learned that the action is being taken without ex-League of Ireland footballer Walsh, who is no longer in a relationship with Knox.

Walsh, who operates Café Davitt in Letterkenny, Co Donegal, told pals yesterday: “It’s got nothing to do with me. I just want to move on with my life and put the whole thing behind me.”

He confirmed the claim is for an undisclosed amount of money for loss of earnings and other matters.

Mr McGrotty also told local reporters he does not know why the legal letter arrived at his home as he is not the executor of his late son’s estate.

6 Ruth's teen daughter Jodie Lee was also killed

Noel’s son Sean, 48, grandsons Mark, 12, and Evan, eight, died in the tragedy along with Sean’s mother-in-law Ruth Daniels and her daughter Jodie Lee Daniels.

Speaking shortly after the tragedy, Knox told of her trauma and her frantic efforts to care for baby Rioghnach Ann.

She explained: “It was very traumatic and difficult to stand on the pier and to watch what was unfolding in front of me.

“I saw Davitt swimming out to get the baby. I was afraid for his life as well as for the lives of the people in the car.

“When I saw the car sinking I was afraid that Davitt would dive under the water to try to help the people in the car.

6 Stephanie pictured with hero Davitt Walsh who is not taking any action against the family Credit: Newspix

“I shouted at him ‘Davitt come back, Davitt come back’. I could see he was struggling and that he was tiring fast as he held the baby really high up in the air.

“Just before the car sank there was no noise, no screams, you could hear a pin drop on the pier. I went down the slipway and Davitt handed the baby over to me.

“I went off the slipway and went into the water up to my waist. I didn’t want to go into the water any further in case no-one would get out of the water. I then crawled up the slipway with the baby in my arms. She was not crying and I thought that she was dead.

“I thought I was going to have to do CPR on the baby and then I heard the smallest of coughs coming from the baby.

“It was the smallest faintest cough I have ever heard and I will never forget it.

“That was the moment when I realised Davitt had done so well.”

MOST READ IN NEWS HOME OFFICE Brits told to 'work from home if you can' as PM set to slap 10pm curfew on pubs 'prank' horror Woman suffers miscarriage after being flung from car in 'practical joke' BOGGED DOWN Shoppers fill trolleys with loo roll as stores urge Brits NOT to panic buy 'TOUGH S**T' Lawyer refuses to scrap 'offensive' LGOPNR number plate.. can you work it out? BAD NEWS AT 10 Boris to slap 10pm curfew on pubs from Thurs & order more working from home RAPE HELL Schoolgirl, 16, ‘gang-raped, killed and dumped to slowly die on building site’

Last November, Sean McGrotty’s partner Louise James — who also lost two sons, mother and sister in the disaster — launched a legal action seeking damages from Donegal County Council.

Her action focused on claims that the pier, which was covered in algae, was unsafe and should not have been accessible to vehicles.

An inquest last year also found that Sean McGrotty was more than three times the legal drink-drive limit at the time of the tragedy.

Speaking afterwards, Louise said: “It was an accident waiting to happen. Hopefully lessons will be learned and the recommendations made following this inquest will be implemented.”