A feverish search was made for Hebe (10) and her nurse Sanne (26) in the Netherlands. Now there is sad certainty. The two are dead.
Vught – family and police hoped to find them alive. Hundreds of volunteers spent days looking for a severely disabled girl and her caregiver. On Wednesday evening, investigators pulled a Kia Picanto from a body of water near a freeway. Inside were two bodies. “We have every reason to assume that it’s about Sanne (the companion) and Hebe,” the police said. The mayor of Vught, Roderick van de Mortel, confirmed Thursday: Hebe (10) and her companion (26) are dead.
Drama about Hebe (10) and Sanne (26): Disappeared over a distance of 36 kilometers
The police were initially unable to say anything about the cause of the drama. It is now being investigated why and how the car fell into the water and how the young woman and the girl died. The investigation is ongoing, the police said on Twitter and are now looking for dash cam recordings of other drivers from Monday between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. “Help us if you have dash cam footage.”
Skid marks were discovered at a motorway junction late Wednesday evening. Finally, a police helicopter found the car in the water about ten kilometers from the little girl’s childhood home.
Both have been missing since Monday evening. In the afternoon, the attendant picked up Hebe, who had multiple disabilities, in her black car from a disabled facility in Raamsdonkerveer. As usual, she was supposed to take Hebe home to Vught, about 40 kilometers away. But the two didn’t arrive.
Hebe and Sanne’s families released a joint statement. “Last night we received the news that Hebe (10) and Sanne (26) are no longer there. As of Monday night we have been living between hope and despair and this is a terrible ending to a great drama. Our grief is intense and very great.” Both families ask that they be left alone to mourn.
Finally, both families would like to thank all the helpers who have been involved in the search over the past few days. (dpa/ml)
