Daughter of missing woman allegedly swept away by flood speaks
CHARTWELL - The daughter of the woman who was thought to have been swept away by flood waters while attempting to cross a low-lying bridge on 3rd Road in Chartwell has released a statement about the ongoing search for her missing mother.
The statement was posted on the Douglasdale Community Policing Forum’s Facebook page. “My mother, Linda Bassingthwaighte, has been missing since the night of 17 March when she was swept away in flood waters in the Klein Jukskei River just after 8pm,” the statement read. “We have searched for her every day since then. From the point of view of my family, it has been incredibly frustrating watching the rescue teams work with such limited resources. But when your mother is lost in a river, every effort is never going to feel enough, it always feels like more can or should be done.”
Donna Palinhos, the daughter of the missing woman, added that it had been disheartening for the family to watch the various rescue teams put in their all to help them find their mother. “These teams… are made up largely of volunteers. These men and women gave up their time with their families to help my family every day since my mother went missing. These incredible human beings spent their time in the shadow of disaster dealing with heartbroken and frustrated family members and they do it with the utmost professionalism.”
She said many teams have been involved in the search but they would like to specifically thank the Police Water Wing and K9 Search and Rescue, City of Joburg EMS, Off Road Rescue Unit, Mountain Club of South Africa and NSRI volunteers.
The family has also received incredible support from the local Chartwell and Farmall communities and the Douglasdale Community Policing Forum.
“A special thank you to Mark McClue and his friends who have been on the river every single day. HeronBridge College not only let us use their school grounds as a base but they also provided us with beverages. Human beings are amazing and there are so many special people out there willing to help,” Palinhos expressed.
“Last, and of course not least, to our precious family and friends, to everyone who loves my mother, thank you for being with us every day, for helping us search, for keeping us all in your prayers. I know we will find my mom soon.”
The forum asked the community to continue praying for the missing woman’s family at this time. “We as a community stand with them one and all through this incredibly difficult time,” said the forum in a statement.
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