Charmaine Booysens, SPCA Roodepoort Chairlady (facebook):
I’ve been fighting with my notebook for the entire afternoon … I just cannot find the right words to express what I’m feeling. I realised that what I (and so many others) am feeling tonight cannot be put into words. On Monday 26 May we got a message on our facebook page about two boerbuls that went missing in Allen’s Nek.
My immediate reaction was: “Stupid people”. At that point in time I didn’t realise the emotions we all would experience in the 10 days that would follow.
There is not a thing that Joop and Mariaan would not do to find their boys. Taking leave, searching day in and day out and I literally mean the entire day, until the early hours of the following morning. Going to abandoned parks at midnight (because that’s the place the informant described). Handing out 5 000+ flyers. Going to dairy farms in Randfontein, approaching newspapers and neighbourhood watches. Following up on every single lead they got. You name it, they did it, they didn’t leave a stone unturned.
The help and support they got from the public were phenomenal. All of us had only one goal: To get Ulie and Max home safely. Yesterday, 4 June while out searching for Ulie and Max, I got a call from Mariaan. There’s a dog in a field behind someone’s house, not far from where they stay; this person thinks it might be Ulie or Max. After a couple of minutes (that felt like hours), I got the call none of us wanted.
Sadly it was Ulie in the drain.
Although we were devastated by die news we all knew that we couldn’t give up on Max, he was still out there and we needed to find him. Something bothered Mariaan and Joop though; something else was blocking the drain. The municipality couldn’t come and assist last night. The search for Max continued until the early hours of this morning (5 June), but like all the other nights we all returned to our homes with heavy hearts. We had closure on Ulie, but where was Max?
Sadly this morning the municipality got Max out of that same drain. It seems like Max wanted some water, slipped and fell into the drain. Ulie, being the father and protector tried to help Max, but also fell into the drain. As they battled to get out, Max only went further into the drain. Ulie once again tried to be the hero, saving his son’s life even if it meant losing his own. Although he couldn’t save Max, he found a way to make sure that they were found. Due to a veld fire the previous day, the grass was short. Ulie’s face was showing above the water.
Right to the end Ulie stayed the hero, making sure Joop, Mariaan and the family could find their bodies and someway, somehow, someday make peace.
Ulie, Max I haven’t had the honour of meeting you, but I grieve your loss like you where one of my own. You’ve brought people together and you’ve built friendships without even knowing it. The last couple of days we lived on takeaways and McDonald’s coffee, but it was all worth it. How we all prayed for your safe return.
Tonight, whilst the cold is sneaking in underneath every door, I’m thanking the Lord that we did find you. We can rest assured that you are not trying to find a warm place to sleep tonight. We know that you are safe and warm. Ulie, Max I might not know you, but I can promise you I will never forget you.
Ulie jy was ‘n hero tot op die bitter einde. Rus in vrede.
Max jy kan so trots wees. Rus in vrede.
Joop, Mariaan julle is dierbare mense, mag julle (en die familie) gedra word deur hierdie bitter moeilike tyd.
