Ward funeral arrangements untrue

Terence Ward, the father of the late Alfred Ward, 24, a paramedic who died with four others in the E-Med Rescue24 air ambulance Cessna 441 Conquest V5-NRS plane crash at Maastricht Wine Farm in Durbanville on August 16, says reports carried by News24 that his son would be buried this weekend are untrue. “They (the media) should not put words into my mouth. I consulted the other affected families and they confirmed that they had not received any commitment or communication from the South African authorities dealing with the issue,” said Ward, who denied that he had provided News24 with the information contained in the report. According to the South African news website News24, Ward was to be buried this weekend with full honours. Body not released The report read: “…the body of the Namibian paramedic killed in an air ambulance crash in Cape Town will likely be released to his family this week, more than three weeks after the accident.” Terence Ward was quoted as saying: “This is the first time they have given me a time. They are getting the DNA test results tomorrow and then they will repatriate the body,” Ward said. He explained that he received an e-mail from a certain Captain Joubert from South Africa which initially stated that the DNA testing would be completed by September 9 and that his son’s body would then be released. “This is what I was told and it did not materialise. I am still waiting for confirmation and cannot proceed with the funeral arrangements unless I have the assurance that the body has been released and will be repatriated. “If possible I would like to bury my son before the end of next week,” commented Ward. He also expressed his gratitude to the Namibian government for assistance rendered. “The South Africans only started to act after our government intervened and we are grateful for that” he said. OTIS FINCK