10 lives mourned: Sarah Brown, Jess and Giselle Greig, Andrew Davis and others
The past two months have brought unprecedented loss to the Gympie region through a series of tragic mishaps and accidents that have rocked the entire area.
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The heartbreaking discovery of a young Gympie woman’s body in bushland and the horrific death of a mother and her 12-year-old daughter in a car crash, are just some of the tragic losses the community of the Gympie region had to endure since June of 2021.
In a relatively short space of time, it seemed, the very worst news kept coming. Our thoughts and best wishes remain with the families, friends and loved ones of those who lost their lives.
The incidents that took them from us are in order of most recent to least recent.
31-year-old Sexton woman
Investigations continue into what caused the tragic accident at Kilkivan on July 24 that left a 31-year-old Sexton woman dead.
The crash occurred on a bend just inside the 60km/h zone on the Gympie side of Kilkivan about 2.20am on Saturday.
Police were alerted to the incident by the occupant of a Kilkivan home close to where the horror unfolded.
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The Rav4 veered off the Wide Bay Highway just after the 100km/h zone becomes a 60km/h zone in the township, crashing into a large gum tree near the side of the road and exploding into flames.
The driver was the only occupant of the car. She died at the scene.
Xavier Webb
Nine-year-old Goomeri boy, Xavier Webb, who suffered serious petrol burns in a horrific incident died, on July 8.
Xavier was playing at a private property when he received burns to 60 per cent of his body and had to be flown by LifeFlight to Queensland Children’s Hospital and placed in an induced coma.
Xavier’s mother Sandra Webb said he underwent surgery every two days in an effort to save his life, but tragically passed away.
Xavier’s aunt Caroline Webb described the Goomeri State School student as a “happy, fun and loving” child who adored his family.
DONATE TO XAVIER’S GOFUNDME HERE
“He loved football and motorbike riding,” Mrs Webb said.
“He was always running around with a smile on his face, would always be there to make you happy when you’re down.”
Xavier was farewelled by his heartbroken family, friends and teammates in a Gympie funeral on July 30.
Jessica and Giselle Greig
Jessica Greig, 29, and her daughter Giselle, 12, were both tragically killed in a truck and car crash near Toowoomba on July 8.
The Greig family was travelling to a family reunion when their SUV collided with a truck on the Toowoomba-Cecil Plains Road just after 10am.
Jessica Greig was killed instantly and Giselle died shortly after.
Father Alex Greig, who was airlifted to the RBWH after the crash in a critical condition, stabilised after two weeks in the hospital and a GoFundMe was set up to help his family and recovery.
DONATE TO ALEX GREIG’S RECOVERY GOFUNDME HERE
Jessica and Giselle were remembered as “an amazing mother and an amazing friend” in a heartbreaking funeral on July 22.
Mother and grandmother Ellen Turnbull said Jessica was an “adventurous” and “sporty” teenager who called Giselle her “saving grace” when she fell pregnant with her at a young age.
DONATE TO THE GOFUNDME FOR THE GREIG CHILDREN HERE
Andrew Davis
Thirty seven-year-old Gympie man Andrew Davis was found dead after going missing for 18 days, police confirmed on June 22.
Earlier police reports erroneously stated Mr Davis had been found safe and well, but the Queensland Police Service released another update just one hour later confirming he had been found dead.
Andrew was last seen leaving a Gympie home near the Bruce Highway intersection on June 4.
His mother Jennifer, whose last name has been withheld by request, described her late son as “a good friend to many”, which was highlighted by the number of messages she received after his disappearance.
Sarah Brown
Sarah Brown, 23, was found dead in bushland at Victory Heights on Monday, June 14, a week after she went missing.
Sarah had last been seen leaving her home in Victory Heights at 6pm Monday, June 7, wearing thongs and a dress. She was reportedly going to buy alcohol from a nearby shop.
Her mother, Janet Gardner, arrived in Gympie the next day to meet her daughter following a previous arrangement, and a frantic search ensued.
She was discovered by a male friend the following Monday.
Police confirmed on June 17 that Sarah’s death was not being treated as suspicious, pending results of a post mortem examination.
Police were preparing a report for the coroner.
Ms Gardner told The Gympie Times of the “strong bond” she shared with her “fiery” youngest daughter who would call her mother every day.
“Sarah had the lot, she had the looks, the academics, she was gifted in piano, she’s won prizes for drawings, she had the heart and protected people who couldn’t, she stood up to the blokes when no one else could,” Ms Gardner said.
Domenico ‘Mick’ Dipasquasio
A 51-year-old man who was killed in a crash at Glastonbury was later remembered by more than 250 of his loved ones at his funeral at his Widgee home.
Domenico “Mick” Dipasquasio tragically died at the scene after his car collided head-on with another vehicle on Glastonbury Road just before 6.30pm on June 3.
Mr Dipasquasio was described by his nephew Billy Wilson as a “beautiful, perfect” uncle, brother and son.
“(He was a father) but he tragically lost his son Jacob Shearer in the 2013 floods in Widgee,” Mr Wilson said.
Thomas Holt
64-year-old grandfather Thomas Holt died following a tractor rollover at his property on Gympie‘s Southside on Thursday, June 3.
He was immediately remembered by loved ones as a “caring and honest” friend.
He was described by one of his close friends as a reliable person who was always up for a chat, and as a father figure to his nephew Louie.
“My father passed away … and then he played a bigger part in my life, he was always a great man, always had a smile on his face and no matter what the occasion was nothing would bring him down,” Louie said.
Maria-Christina ‘Tina’ Gevers
A mum of four who was tragically killed in a horror head-on collision at Tuchekoi was a “beautiful, incredibly strong and joyful” woman.
Maria-Christina Gevers, known to her friends and family as Tina, was a single mum who lived locally to Imbil.
On Tuesday, June 1, Maria-Christina was involved in a car crash where her blue Holden Commodore collided with a Nissan Navara on Kenilworth Skyring Creek Rd at about 2.50pm.
She was initially freed from her vehicle and airlifted to hospital in a critical condition, but died in hospital later that week.
Maria-Christina‘s oldest daughter Claudia Gevers later created a GoFundMe to help her family with the “shocking costs” of a funeral.
“A beautiful daughter and mum of four children has been taken from us in a horrible accident,” Claudia wrote on the GoFundMe.
Gympie church service times for Christmas
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