A FAMILY from  The Bluff  are living in a nightmare as they count down every minute and second in anticipation to hear news about their son and brother, Cowan Reed Titus, 28, who has been missing since the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on March 28.

More than 3100 people have died so far, with 221 people still missing. Among those missing is Cowan, a dedicated school teacher who had made Mandalay his new home.

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The earthquake which devastated the region, reduced thousands of buildings to rubble, cut off infrastructure and pushed families like the Titus family into a state of despair. For Samantha and Kurt Titus, and their daughter Tyla, each day with no news is a test of faith and willpower.

Samantha said Cowan was always enthusiastic about teaching and had dreams of doing so abroad. He first moved to China with a friend before moving to Cambodia and ultimately settling in Myanmar at the Higher Champs International School. It was only a month prior to the earthquake that Cowan took a short trip to South Africa to attend his best friend Michala Norman’s wedding before returning to Mandalay.

Samantha said that she kept in contact with Cowan daily and had last messaged him at 09:15 South African time on March 28, which would have been around 14:00 Myanmar time. She said the message had registered a single tick and thought that he could have been busy at school or experiencing issues with Wi-Fi in his apartment.

She messaged again and still no response. Panicked when she did not hear from him, as Cowan was due to return home on April 1 for a month-long break, Samantha phoned one of Cowan’s Johannesburg-based friends to ask if he could be reached. Within a short while, the mother of Cowan’s friend phoned her to inform her that she too was not able to reach her daughter Mishka Moodley, who had been teaching in Mandalay as well.

On the morning of March 29, Samantha turned on the TV and saw the devastating news of a massive earthquake that had struck Mandalay. Panic set in as the family desperately searched for information on Cowan. Samantha said she phoned the embassy in Pretoria, who directed them to the British Consulate in Myanmar. After a few hours, they received the devastating verification that Cowan was missing.

Tracking Cowan:

Following the earthquake, Cowan’s colleagues, friends and relatives initiated a desperate search for any sign of his presence. From his social media accounts, Tyla traced his last whereabouts to his apartment. He had left early on the day of the earthquake because he was unwell.

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Resolved to find him, Cowan’s friends and co-workers in Mandalay have been scouring day and night. “The love and support have been phenomenal. We are still hopeful. We are still standing in faith that Cowan is alive,” said Samantha.

Community support and appreciation: 

In spite of the anguish, the family is finding solace in their faith and the support. Every evening, they gather together to pray and have a light burning for his safe return. “The strength of prayer is incredible. We know that our son will be coming home,” she said.

Samantha said that Cowan was truly a one-of-a-kind person, he had such an inviting spirit that everyone always drew close to him. They felt comfortable to be around him and just have fun. “We never knew the impact Cowan had on so many people’s life until now. We knew he had friends, but we never knew it to be this much. So many people are actively searching for him,” she said.

One-of-a-kind relationship:

Tyla, 24, said that her brother was her best friend even though they were miles apart.

“We spoke every day. He would always tell me how much he loved me and how proud he was of me. We called on the Tuesday before the earthquake and we just cried, saying how excited we were to spend quality time together again. He is my only sibling, and I cannot imagine him not being there for me. But I am praying, and I am hopeful because I know Cowan is strong,” said Tyla.

The family still requests prayers and support from the community. “My arms, his dad’s arms, his sister’s arms and everybody’s arms are wide open and waiting to give him our love and give him a hug because we know that he’s being strong, he’s being strong for all of us. I feel that he hears us and know that he hears us, and he’s being protected by God and the angels and the blood that’s covering him and protecting him, we know that he’s coming home,” said Samantha.

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