FAMILY TRAGEDY: The Coetzee family has been struck by tragedy. From left are Ettienne, Ethan, Edmando and Louisa. In front is nine-year-old Luke. Photo: Boet Matthews
FAMILY TRAGEDY: The Coetzee family has been struck by tragedy. From left are Ettienne, Ethan, Edmando and Louisa. In front is nine-year-old Luke. Photo: Boet Matthews

Father, sons and friend perish in accident

Boet Matthews
The Rehoboth community is reeling with shock after the chairman of a local rugby club and his two sons, who both played for the club, as well as a friend of the sons, died in a horrific road accident on Saturday night.

The crash occurred about nine kilometres from Rehoboth as they and other family members were returning from Windhoek, where their club – FNB Reho Falcons – had played.

Those who lost their lives in the crash are Edmando Coetzee (23), who was Reho Falcon's first-team captain on Saturday, his brother Ethan (21), their father and the club's chairman, Ettienne Coetzee (48) and a close friend Greschlinn Bruwer (21), the son of former national football team goalkeeper Danzyl Bruwer.

The Audi Q7 the family was travelling in reportedly collided with a cow in the road, then crashed head-on into an oncoming truck and subsequently struck another SUV that had been driving behind the truck.

The accident took place at around 22:00.

Community mourns

Ettienne’s wife, Louisa (48), suffered severe injuries and was admitted to an intensive care unit in Windhoek, while the couple’s youngest son, Luke (9), was admitted to a regular ward in Rehoboth.

Pastor Werner Coetzee, Ettienne's brother, said yesterday that Louisa was improving, although she was also experiencing a lot of pain.

"We believe and trust in a living God, although we sometimes ask, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'" he said.

The accident is a significant setback for Falcon Sports Club as well as rugby in general. Additionally, Ettienne was also an expert in medical circles.

Falcons club president Ronaldo Pedro told Namibia Media Holdings yesterday: “No words can bring Ettienne back, but there are very few who can follow in his footsteps. The two of us have come a long way together, and Ettienne even founded the gospel group The Unlimited in 1993, who strummed the guitars in the then Lowveld, nowadays known as Blok C.”

He added: “His recent contribution to Reho Falcon Sports Club was the establishment of a netball team. No, there is only one Ettienne Coetzee... We salute you, Ettienne Coetzee," he said.

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-23

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