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- The family of 18-year-old Leila Lees described her as loving, warm and vivacious.
- Lees' body, along with that of Ethan Kirkland, was found in his vehicle, which was submerged in water on a vacant plot in Stellenbosch on Monday.
- Her grandfather, Max du Preez, says the family has been left traumatised by her death.
The family of Leila Lees, the Stellenbosch resident whose body was found in a vehicle that was submerged in water on a vacant plot in Stellenbosch just a few metres from her home, has described her as loving, warm and vivacious.
Max du Preez, editor of Vrye Weekblad, said he wished there were more people in the world like Lees, his granddaughter.
Lees and Ethan Kirkland's lifeless bodies were retrieved from an excavated plot of land in Stellenbosch near her home. They went missing on Friday night.
Following a massive search operation, their bodies were recovered on Monday after residents and Stellenbosch University students mobilised to find them.
A heartbroken Du Preez said the loss was a terrible blow for his daughter, Annene, and Leila's sister, Mila.
READ | Bodies found in Stellenbosch quarry that of missing couple, police confirm
"Our family is very traumatised, and we are struggling to come to terms with Leila's death," he said.
He said:
Du Preez said Annene had also lost her mother, Anne Marié, in a car accident a few years ago.
"The support and love of our wide circle of friends and Leila and Mila's many friends in Stellenbosch is greatly appreciated," Du Preez added.
Meanwhile, an impromptu memorial appeared in Stellenbosch as the town mourns the tragic deaths of the couple.
A photo of the two teens and bouquets of flowers were left on the corner of Bird and Paul Kruger streets after their bodies were recovered.
