- The body of a 2-year-old girl who is believed to have drowned at Herolds Bay was briefly spotted on Monday.
- The child's mother seemingly drove her car off the cliff along Voëlklip Road on Thursday.
- The woman's 8-year-old son fell out of the car and sought help from benefactors he encountered along the road.
The body of a 2-year-old girl who is believed to have drowned when her mother seemingly drove her car off a cliff and plunged into the sea along Voëlklip Road at Herolds Bay in the Garden Route on Thursday was briefly spotted by rescue personnel on Monday.
Her body was spotted before disappearing under the water again.
According to Netwerk24, police divers were still searching for the girl's body on Monday. However, strong winds hampered their efforts.
The 34-year-old woman drove her white Fiat off a cliff and plunged into the sea with her daughter just after 12:00 on Thursday.
The woman's 8-year-old son seemingly fell out of the car and sought help from benefactors he encountered along the road.
He was reportedly drenched in sweat and his face was covered with scratches and dust.
City Press reported that the boy said his mother did not want to live anymore and drove into the sea with his sister.
Police and emergency services were called and the woman's body was retrieved from the sea later that afternoon.
Police spokesperson Captain Malcolm Pojie told Netwerk24 that rescue workers saw the girl's body floating in the water on Monday.
"But rescue workers could not reach her. She then disappeared under the water."
The autopsy on the mother had been scheduled for Monday. "The vehicle will not be recovered from the sea at this stage," Pojie reportedly said.
Similar incidents
In October 2019, Heidi Scheepers' car went off the cliff and into the sea. She had her 6-year-old daughter, Cozette, and 2-year-old son, Hugo, in the car. Only the bodies of Heidi and Hugo were retrieved after a massive search.
In December 2019, 52-year-old Zonita Basson died when her car went off the road and crashed into the sea.
In January 2020, a man died when his car left the road and crashed into the sea.
At the time, Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works spokesperson Jandre Bakker said the road along the picturesque area was managed by the department, but it ran through private property.
At a meeting to discuss the possibility of starting the formal process of applying to have the road closed, it emerged that people did not want it to be closed.
Last year, the department said it was considering ways of making the road safer.
- Compiled by Riaan Grobler
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