KNYSNA – The 37-year-old woman who was tragically killed in Knysna when a tree fell on her parked car has been described as a selfless person who was loved by all.
Lauren Fredericks, a social worker employed by the Department of Social Development, was killed on Wednesday as intense rains and floods continue to batter parts of the Western Cape.
Emergency services found her body trapped inside her VW Polo near a police station.
“She was a modern-day Mother Teresa,” her brother Griffith Lewis said, tears welling up in his eyes.
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“I think even when tragedy struck, she was on her way to assist people in need with aid packages. She always told us, ‘The people need me’, when we questioned why she lived so far from home.”
Lewis said his sister’s tragic death felt like a blur.
“I woke up this morning and I was hoping that this is all just a dream. When I looked around, reality dawned on me, I will no longer have my sister and number one supporter.”
He said he wanted everyone to remember Fredericks for the great person she was.
“She was my princess. She was always willing to help everybody, never mind the colour of your skin. I’m going to miss my daughter very much. I could always just pick up the phone and say, ‘Lauren, daddy needs this, and she will be there’. I am going to miss my child,” her father Clayton Lewis added.
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Western Cape Minister of Social Development, Jaco Londt confirmed that Fredericks was on her way to conduct assessments of residents evacuated in the area due to adverse weather conditions.
“I am deeply saddened by this loss. Ms Fredericks had a love for community work and was part of the office’s disaster management response team. Our thoughts are with her family, particularly her young son, friends and colleagues during this difficult time.”