A family grieving the loss of a teen who tragically swept away by floodwaters almost three years ago can finally lay her to rest after her remains were found.
Krystal Cain,14, from Victoria, was travelling with her father Lenny to visit family in Agnes Water, Queensland, when their vehicle became trapped in floodwaters on the Burnett Highway, near Gympie, on January 8 2022.
The pair managed to escape from their submerged car before Krystal was eventually swept away after surviving for hours with her dad clinging to tree branches.
The heartbroken father told Daily Mail Australia on Thursday night that human remains discovered six weeks ago have now been confirmed to be Krystal’s after forensic testing
The teen’s body is now at a funeral home as her family organise arrangements for a fitting farewell to be held on January 10 in Bundaberg.
‘There’s happiness, sadness, contentment,’ Mr Cain said.
‘There’s all sorts of mixed emotions at the moment.’
He said the discovery of her remains was bittersweet but expressed relief that the family can finally to give Krystal the farewell she deserves.
Krystal Cain, 14, (right) was travelling with her dad Lenny (left) in January 2022 when their car became stranded by floodwaters
The year nine student (pictured) was pulled from the car by her dad, who tied an extension chord around them. They clung to one tree for six hours, before the branches snapped and they were swept to another tree. They were then swept to a third tree where the father was trapped under water – and when he resurfaced his daughter was gone
‘That’s been the main thing for me over the last few years,’ he said.
‘I had a lot of jealousy, a lot of hatred towards people who were able to do something I wasn’t able to do.’
At the time the Year Nine student went missing, 10km of farms and bushland were searched by emergency services for two weeks before the effort was scaled back.
Mr Cain said it was pig hunters who made the discovery of skeletal remains at Booubyjan in late October, just 500m away from the original search zone.
Krystal’s clothing was found by the authorities – which helped the forensic team match to his daughter’s remains.
Mr Cain described Krystal as an ‘amazing and kind-hearted girl’ who was also a talented artist.
‘She loved English at school, she was very good at all of her subjects but she wasn’t one of these people who big noted herself. She was a quiet achiever,’ the proud dad said.
‘Whenever new children came to the school, she would be the one who walked them around and spend time with them.
Krystal’s remains were found by pig hunters six weeks ago. The teen is pictured with her dad
Krystal Cain (pictured) was a ‘kind hearted’, ‘amazing’ teen and a talented artist
‘Some of the children were less fortunate than us and didn’t have food and she would share her lunch with them.’
Her school, near Ballarat, has named an academic award after her, the Krystal Cain Quiet Achievers Award.
After Krystal went missing, Mr Cain remained in Agnes Water because of the support of family and friends and the ‘kind locals’.
It has been impossible for him to return to work after the harrowing loss, prompting his sister to set up a GoFundMe to help pay his medical expenses.
‘There’s reports going around that say that we were separated and that’s not true,’ Mr Cain said.
‘As the water was rising I got both of us out of the window of the car and I had an extension lead that I managed to get.
‘I tied myself and Krystal together.
‘I got Krystal up the tree and I had a heart attack. I also snapped my elbow in half at that time, but I managed to get up and we stayed in the first tree for about six hours.’
The father’s right elbow has never recovered. Mr Cain also suffered broken ribs.
Mr Cain said it was bittersweet news that the remains are Krystal’s but is relieved to finally give her the send off she deserves (pictured Krystal Cain)
Mr Cain created a memorial for his beloved daughter (pictured) at the site of the first tree that ‘saved’ them
The 56-year-old also had most of his teeth knocked out, had a tooth lodged in his lung, and was at one stage pinned under water for a minute a half.
‘What I went through was absolute hell,’ he said.
Making Agnes Water his home has helped him feel close to Krystal and the father created a memorial to his beloved daughter.
‘I go out to the site quite a bit, ‘ he said.
‘I tidy up out there and put fresh flowers there and make a path way to the tree.
‘Because that tree was the first tree that saved our lives. And that’s where Krystal is, so that’s my place to go to to spend time with her.’
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