|
Teen's death 'very traumatic'
05/09/2007 08:46 - (SA)
Kim Snyders, Beeld
Johannesburg - The parents of a girl at whose party Lezaan Kriel, 17, suddenly died of an unknown cause, on Tuesday denied that there was no supervision at the party.
Lezaan, from Florida, Roodepoort, suddenly got ill at Maryke van der Walt's birthday party in Constantia-Kloof on Friday evening.
According to Lynette van der Walt, Maryke's mother, she and her husband were present inside the house throughout the party and were aware of Lezaan's illness.
"She fell ill and decided to lie down in one of the rooms.
"There were children present with her in the room," said Van der Walt.
Looked as if she was in a coma
"When she became nauseous, the children helped her to sit up to prevent suffocation."
Lezaan's friends called the Van der Walt family when she started vomiting and fell off the bed.
"She looked as if she was in a coma. Her limbs were limp and her head fell backward."
They apparently immediately called an ambulance and the children carried Lezaan downstairs in order to get her into an ambulance faster.
When the ambulance took too long, two of the boys put Lezaan into the family's car and rushed her to a clinic, said Van der Walt. She died on the way.
"It was very traumatic for the children attending the party."
"They pulled together to support each other," she said.
"My daughter in particular feels bad. She feels guilty because it happened at her party.
"One keeps thinking if only there had not been a party, and what her parents must be going through."
The cause of Lezaan's death was not yet known, although police were of the opinion that she had not died of natural causes.
According to her father, Francois Kriel, the state pathologist started his investigation on Monday and they were waiting for the results.
Lezaan will be buried from the NG Kerk Constantia-Kruin at 10:00 on Friday.
|
News
