A young woman tragically killed by a falling tree branch had only moved to Australia six months ago.
Angelique De Wet, 28, and her husband Collin de Wet, 33, were walking through the George Brown Botanic Gardens, in Darwin, on Sunday afternoon when they were struck by a falling Monkey Ear Pod tree branch.
Ms De Wet died at the scene while Mr De Wet was rushed to Royal Darwin Hospital with serious injuries.
The couple, who are from South Africa, relocated to Darwin in April after Mr De Wet was granted a visa to work in the Northern Territory at an engineering consultancy company.
‘My heart is broken,’ Ms De Wet’s uncle Willie Bezuidenhout, her only relative in Australia, wrote online.
‘Only a few months ago you called and said how happy you and Colin are coming over to Darwin to make a living in Australia, and now you are gone.’
‘I am going to miss you so much. You were still so young and this is too soon.
Angelique De Wet, 28, and her husband Collin de Wet, 33, were struck by a falling tree branch in Darwin on Sunday
‘Why are the most beautiful souls taken so early?’
Devastated relatives said she had an ‘adventurous spirit and zest for life’.
They said the couple were ‘full of hope’ and had been ’embracing the opportunities, freedom, and natural beauty that Australia had to offer’ since moving overseas.
‘Angelique was more than just a happy-go-lucky lady; she was a beacon of joy and positivity for those fortunate enough to know her,’ the family wrote on GoFundMe.
‘Her infectious laughter, warm smile, and kind-hearted nature endeared her to many, and her memory will forever be etched in the hearts of those whose lives she touched.’
Ms De Wet’s mother Magda Odendaal paid tribute to her daughter in a heartbreaking post as she sent her love to her son-in-law, who remains in a stable condition in hospital.
‘My child, mommy has no words,’ she said.
‘Now you are an angel. The most beautiful Angel there is.
‘Mommy will miss you very much every day.
Angelique De Wet has been remembered as a ‘beacon of joy’ by her devastated loved ones
The couple are pictured on their wedding day in March 2021 at African Oceans Manor on the Beach
‘Collin, Son, please be strong.’
Mr De Wet is believed to have suffered multiple fractures and undergone surgery.
The South African consulate has been advised and is assisting the family.
Photos posted online show the couple gushing with joy on their wedding day in March 2021 as they exchanged vows by the beach at the luxury resort, African Oceans Manor, in South Africa’s Mossel Bay.
The pair wore matching tartan pyjama pants pants, bed slippers, and black shirts as they were married in a trimmed-down Covid ceremony, with just the celebrant, photographer, and one witness present.
Acting Commander Peter Kennon said on Monday morning several bystanders witnessed the freak incident and rushed to the couple’s aid.
He said it was a ‘confronting’ scene but ‘everyone’ nearby rendered assistance.
A NT Parks and Wildlife spokeswoman confirmed the tree involved in the incident was an enterolobium cyclocarpum, commonly known as a Monkey Ear Pod tree.
The couple were visiting the George Brown Botanic Gardens (pictured) when tragedy struck
She said regular tree audits were held at all Territory parks and reserves, with the Botanic Gardens last assessed in December 2022.
She said the tree was not identified as high risk, however, other high-risk trees were removed in the wake of the inspection.
She said the department would contact an external arborist to prepare a report on the Monkey Ear Pod trees to assess any additional safety concerns.
Ms De Wet’s death comes after Darwin man William Brown was killed by a falling tree branch in 2014 while playing golf, which led to the immediate removal of the tree and an inquest into his death.
The George Brown Botanical Gardens shut on Sunday after the tragedy and remains closed until further notice.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
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