Human remains found near Gympie suspected to be Krystal Cain

The heartbroken father of a 14-year-old Victorian girl, swept away by raging flood waters west of Gympie, has confirmed police have reached out after the discovery of human remains 2km downstream of where he last saw her.

Investigations are underway after the discovery of human remains on a regional property at Booubyjan, about 100km west of Gympie. Picture: Channel 7

Almost three years after his daughter was swept out of his arms by raging floodwaters, a grieving father may finally get the answers he needs following the discovery of human remains west of Gympie.

Lenny Cain, the father of 14-year-old Krystal Cain, was left devastated after his daughter went missing at Booubyjan on the night of January 8, 2022 during a trip from Victoria to visit family in Queensland.

Despite a massive search that went on for days and weeks, Krystal was never found.

But on Sunday, October 20, 2024, almost three years later, human remains were found near the same waterway at Booubyjan, 2km downstream from where Krystal disappeared.

Lenny confirmed on Wednesday he had received a phone call from Queensland police telling him of the discovery.

He said he was feeling numb but also hopeful that he would soon be able to bring his daughter home if the remains were confirmed as being hers.

Lenny said after all this time, he didn’t think his daughter’s remains would ever be recovered.

Members of the public reportedly discovered the bones at a “remote” property.

Police said in a statement forensic tests confirmed they were human remains, and searches of the surrounding areas had been underway on Monday and Tuesday.

“The search and recovery of remains by forensic officers is ongoing and may continue for several days,” they said.

“Further forensic examinations are being conducted with a view of identifying the human remains.”

On the night Krystal was swept away, she and Lenny were travelling in their Camry from their home in Echuca to visit family in Agnes Water.

Krystal and Lenny Cain spent hours clinging to a tree in floodwaters before Krystal was swept away in January 2022. Photo: Supplied

The pair had tried to cross a flooded Murgon Gayndah Road in the dead of night.

Unbeknown to Lenny, then 53, and Krystal, who was in the back seat, a torrential downpour from ex-tropical cyclone Seth had dumped more than 650mm of water across the Wide Bay, turning creeks into swollen, raging rivers and destroying everything in their path.

The car became stuck in a pothole on a bridge with a thin covering of water.

The Camry was dead and they were stranded.

Lenny put the hazard lights on and got out of the car to investigate while Krystal remained in the back seat.

When the water first crept up over the bridge it barely touch his tyres but within minutes it was pouring through the windows of the car.

Krystal Cain. Photo: supplied.

Using an extension cord tied between them as a lifeline against what Lenny described as a “violent” current, he and Krystal abandoned the car and leaned against the driver’s side door.

“I was hoping the water would pin us to the car and not come any higher, because that was our safety barrier, it was holding us there,” he said.

But then, they felt the car being ripped off the road, and it was taking them with it.

Lenny said Krystal noticed this first, but realised their cord was caught on something inside the car.

She quickly untied herself to avoid being dragged away, but it was already too late.

Krystal Cain. Photo: supplied.

The gravity of the car being washed away sucked Lenny and Krystal into the floodwaters, sweeping them 10m downstream before Lenny was able to get Krystal and himself into a tree.

The higher they climbed, the weaker the branches became, and after five hours, the branch they were clinging to snapped and they were plunged back into the creek.

They were swept further downstream until Lenny made a second attempt at safety with a new tree, again pushing his daughter to a high branch before climbing up himself.

Another five hours went by before this tree too gave way.

Lenny was desperately clinging to his daughter and begging her “hang onto me, and we’ll hang onto this branch”.

There was an almighty crack, as Lenny and Krystal again fell into the waters below.

As Lenny hit the water, he was pinned under by his T-shirt, where he stayed for a minute and a half before he miraculously escaped and scrambled to the surface.

When he emerged, Krystal had vanished.

Lenny was then swept another 100-200m downstream before he was slammed into a third tree, which he clung to until he was eventually spotted by Booubyjan farmers Julie and Ken Thompson, who called rescue crews.

Krystal Cain. Photo: supplied.

He had screamed his daughter’s name over and over but there was no reply.

It was revealed Mrs Thompson had witnessed Krystal floating away through one of their paddocks, but lost sight of her after she saw Lenny.

He was winched to safety after two more hours clinging to the tree, and in a state of shock, told his rescuers “my daughter is gone, I’ve lost my daughter, I can’t find her”.

“I was devastated because I couldn’t see Krystal and the water was just so violent, and I just feared the worst straight away,” he said.

“There is just no way possible anyone could have survived that torrent.”

Lenny was taken back to the Thompson’s house for treatment, and then to Bundaberg Hospital.

He described Krystal as an “amazing child” with a passion for art, animals, and school.

She was about to start Year 9 at Echuca College, with a promising future as an anime cartoonist.

“She could sketch these things after just looking at a picture, and the level of detail was just amazing,” he said.

Lenny, who was a tattooist when he lived in Ballarat, said a love for art was something he and Krystal shared and bonded over.

“She had so much love to give; we were extremely close.”

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Originally published as Human remains found near Gympie suspected to be Krystal Cain