Durban - Well-known author Max du Preez, has shared an emotional tribute to his granddaughter, Leila Lees, whose body was found in a vehicle submerged in a flooded quarry in Stellenbosch on Monday.
Describing his granddaughter as “loving, warm and vivacious”, Du Preez said he wished there were more people like her.
According to News24, Du Preez said the family was struggling to come to terms with the tragedy. He added that his daughter, Annene, had also lost her mother in a car crash.
Du Preez said he felt powerless.
“How does a mother come to terms with the death of her 18-year-old child? How do I comfort my dear, dear daughter?” he said.
He further thanked people for their support.
Lees, 18, and her 19-year-old boyfriend, Ethan Kirkland’s bodies were found in a vehicle near a quarry in Stellenbosch on Monday.
The couple had been reported missing at the weekend.
SAPS spokesperson in the Western Cape, Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi, said the bodies were recovered from a motor vehicle that had landed in a dam in Paul Kruger Street.
He said a resident saw an object in the dam and alerted the authorities
“The local police members responded and secured the scene, when they noticed the wheels of a motor vehicle, which was the only part of the vehicle that was visible. The police requested the assistance of SAPS Provincial Diving unit and upon arrival at the scene, after assessing the circumstances, they retrieved the bodies of the two victims from the motor vehicle,” Swartbooi said.
He said that both victims were declared deceased on the scene by the medical personnel.
Stellenbosch police registered an inquest for further investigation.
IOL