Well-known author and political commentator 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 an online report, 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?”
Du Preez further thanked people for their support.
Lees, 18, and her 19-year-old boyfriend Ethan Kirkland’s bodies were found earlier this week.
The student couple was last seen on Friday evening.
Saps spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi confirmed their bodies were recovered from a car that had landed in the dam in Paul Kruger Street.
He said a resident saw a wheel sticking out of the water and alerted the authorities
“The local police 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,” Swartbooi said.
“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,” he added.
He said that both victims were declared dead on the scene by paramedics.
Stellenbosch police have registered an inquest for further investigation.