EppegemThe police and fire brigade searched until the early evening on Sunday for a 25-year-old woman who had ended up in the water in Zemst. Two firefighters tried to grab the victim, but were unsuccessful. The strong current dragged her along and despite the efforts of a sonar boat and a helicopter, she was never found. The search has also been suspended for the time being.
Carmen Schelkens, Joren Wollants, Robby Dierickx
29 Jan. 2023
Latest update:
20:01
The local police of the Kastze zone (Kampenhout, Steenokkerzeel, Zemst) and the Flemish Brabant West and Rivierenland fire zone received an emergency call in the night from Saturday to Sunday around 1 am. A couple had seen how a young woman ended up in the water with her bicycle near the Stationslaan in Eppegem (Zemst). According to the couple, it was a young woman with a beige coat and long, black hair.
The emergency services arrived at the scene with great resources. For example, drones with heat sensors were deployed, in addition to a helicopter and a sonar boat. Firefighters saw how the young woman was dragged along by the current. But just because of that strong current and the high tide, the victim disappeared from sight. The search was called off around 4 a.m.
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On Sunday morning, the search was resumed, this time with the assistance of the Unit for Missing Persons. “But for the time being we have not found a body or a bicycle,” said Carol Vercarre of the Halle-Vilvoorde public prosecutor’s office around noon. “A disappearance was reported: a woman from Vilvoorde reported her sister as missing.”
The woman from Vilvoorde also passed on photos of her missing sister, who herself comes from Eppegem. Those images were shown to the eyewitnesses, who in turn confirmed that it is about the woman they saw falling into the water. The eyewitnesses themselves also received assistance from Victim Support.
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We were able to carry out a very thorough check with that helicopter, but unfortunately that did not have the hoped-for result
“At the level of the Zenne fork, the fire brigade tried to grab the young woman in the water, but that did not work out,” said Alain Remue of the Cell Missing Persons. “After that she disappeared from sight. From that point on we also used other means. The water was low on Sunday, so we called back the helicopter for a third time — sonars are less suited to such conditions. With that helicopter we were able to perform a very thorough check between the place where the woman disappeared and the Rupel in Boom. But unfortunately that did not have the hoped-for result.”
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The search was called off around 5:15 p.m. Sunday. “At this point, we are stopping the search,” confirms Remue. “We will see when we have extremely low water again, and what we can do then. The zone where we have now searched has been completed. But in the meantime there is also increased supervision by the police, among others. And we call on people to report it to us when they see something.”
LOOK ALSO. Local residents have been asking for a closure along the Zenne for a long time
Closing
Local residents have been asking for a closure at the place where the young woman fell into the water (see video above). “As a cyclist, if you lose control for a moment or are not attentive enough, you already run the risk of ending up in the water,” says local resident Marleen Van Den Heuvel (55). “And if you fall into the water, you can’t get out. Nowhere between Zemst and Vilvoorde is there a closure. It’s about time they do something about safety here.”
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About a hundred meters from the towpath in Zemst, where the young woman was last seen, are Chiro rooms and youth center Tramalant. The young woman may have been at the latter location, but the board of the youth center has no knowledge of anyone who is missing. According to the caretaker of the youth center, people have often ended up in the Zenne at that place. “It is pitch dark at night and there is no fence, even though residents have been asking for it for some time. And if you end up in the water at high tide, you don’t stand a chance.”
Meanwhile, mayor of Zemst Veerle Geerinckx (N-VA) also expresses her support. “We have been involved in the investigation since last night,” it sounds. “We are following it closely and will evaluate the situation on the Zenne once we know the exact location of the accident.”
Finally plans for closure of the canal where Frederik Vanclooster (21) died after falling into the water: “It will not bring my son back, but it will save human lives”
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