Krystal Cain’s family cling to hope as Booubyjan search continues

It’s been nearly two weeks since Krystal Cain disappeared in flood waters but despite the odds, her family isn’t giving up hope their “beautiful” little girl will be found.

An aunt enduring an agonising wait as police divers are called in to search for her missing teenage niece says the family has not lost all hope.

It comes as the mammoth search effort for 14-year-old Krystal Cain, who was swept away in floodwaters at Booubyjan, enters its 11th day.

Aundreau Cain told the Gympie Times it was difficult to describe the rollercoaster of emotions the family had endured since news of Krystal’s disappearance broke.

She confirmed Krystal’s father Lenny Cain, who was found after clinging to branches for several hours, suffered a heart attack amid the emotional trauma and exhaustion of his ordeal but was recovering.

Krystal and Lenny, from Victoria, were driving to visit Krystal’s grandparents at Agnes Water.

They were travelling along the Burnett Highway at Booubyjan, when their Toyota Camry was surrounded by rapidly rising flood waters after a torrential downpour smashed parts of the Wide Bay in the wake of ex tropical cyclone Seth.

While the pair managed to escape before the car was swept away, they were tragically separated.

Krystal Cain and her father, Lenny Cain. Photo: supplied.

Mr Cain survived, but Krystal was gone.

Referencing a 9/11 documentary, where a firefighter used the phrase “where there is life, there is miracles”, Mrs Cain said all was not lost.

“We are all devastated, we are all very sad, but there is still a tiny, tiny bit of us that just have some hope that somehow she’s got to some farmers barnyard and is holding out there so that she comes home and we can start her healing process,” Mrs Cain said.

Heartbreak over Krystal’s disappearance was felt throughout Queensland, and in the Victoria community where she had previously attended Echuca Primary School.

Mrs Cain said she had received messages of love and support from Krystal’s friends and peers.

“They’ve all expressed what a wonderful friend she is to them, and they’re sending us lots of love and support,” she said.

Every message was forwarded onto Krystal’s family directly, Mrs Cain said, because they helped reaffirm the hope Krystal would come home.

She described her niece as a “bubbly, fun loving girl” with an ability to make anyone laugh.

“She makes you laugh when you don’t even know what you’re laughing at.

“She’ll say one of the worst dad jokes you could ever imagine, and she just cracks you up with her facial expressions and the way she just presents it to you.”

Krystal with her Aunty Trina at Christmas 2021, weeks before she disappeared. Photo: GoFundMe

According to her aunt Krystal is creatively blessed with a talent for graphite sketching and a love for anime, something she wants to pursue in a career as an anime cartoonist.

But above all, she said her Krystal was compassionate and loving.

“When she hugs you, you just know she hugs you.”

Mrs Cain started a GoFundMe on January 8, the same day the search for Krystal began, to raise funds for Krystal’s search as well as her and father Lenny’s recovery.

“It’s to help with the search as well as to help when Krystal comes home for both Krystal and Lenny to get professional and medical assistance to process the trauma they’ve both been through,” she said.

At the time of publishing, the GoFundMe has raised $8,700.

DONATE TO THE GOFUNDME HERE