French tourist accident victim dies
The pivotal role played by “Tourists in Distress?” a unique service offered by the Highveld Visitor Center in Ermelo, was commended in a letter from the French Embassy after the incident.
The French tourist who was critically injured in a motor vehicle accident on the N2 between Ermelo and Piet Retief on 20 October, passed away in a Johannesburg hospital last Wednesday.
The woman, 39-year-old Cecilia Anna Christiani Dandurande, her husband and their two teenage daughters were on a visit to South Africa when the vehicle they were travelling in overturned on the N2 between Piet Retief and Ermelo. Cecilia suffered severe head injuries in the accident and the other family members were less severely injured.
She was attended to by emergency personnel at the accident scene and taken to the Medi Clinic Ermelo where she was stabilized before being transferred to the Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg.
The pivotal role played by “Tourists in Distress?” a unique service offered by the Highveld Visitor Center in Ermelo, was commended in a letter sent to Mr Athol Stark by the French Embassy after the incident.
The letter reads: “Thank you! Your help is appreciated in rescuing these desperate people in their time of need and creates an international circle of well wishes towards South Africa (ZA) and its open hearted people and country. You deserve an international award and international recognition for this system. Well done in providing help to the most vulnerable of people, Tourists in Distress?”
“Tourists in Distress?” assists foreign tourists in and around the Ermelo area and further afield in dealing with traumatic incidents such as motor vehicle accidents, illness, loss of personal belongings and victims of crime.
After the situation is assessed, one person is assigned to each incident to ensure the smooth flow of tasks and to eliminate possible delays in communication and prevent misunderstandings.
In this case, the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency was notified of the accident, the family’s luggage and passports were secured and their medical aid association was notified. Trauma counseling was provided, the vehicle hire company was informed and interim accommodation for the family was arranged within walking distance of the hospital in Johannesburg.
The family’s itinerary was followed up, advance bookings were cancelled and reimbursements for monies paid were arranged.
Assistance was also provided with arrangements in sending the remains of the deceased back to France.
Many tourists have been assisted by this service in the past.
