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96-year-old resident drowns after falling from mobility bicycle into Dessel-Schoten canal
A 96-year-old woman has died after her mobility bicycle fell into the Dessel-Schoten canal during an outing with a caregiver.
On Tuesday afternoon, a 96-year-old resident of the Sint-Maria care home in Brecht lost her life after the mobility bicycle she was in fell into the Dessel-Schoten canal. The woman was a passenger on a cycling trip with a caregiver from the nursing home.
According to various sources, the caregiver lost control of the specially equipped bicycle while riding on the towpath between Brecht and Sint-Job. The vehicle came too close to the edge and ended up in the canal.
The caregiver managed to get to safety but was unable to save the 96-year-old. The circumstances of the incident are under further investigation.
Rescue services were alerted, but the woman could not be saved and died at the scene. The police have opened an investigation into the incident to determine exactly what happened.
The resident was one of the passengers during a recreational outing, and the use of mobility bicycles is intended to provide elderly and mobility-impaired individuals the opportunity to be outdoors.
The route of the trip ran along the canal, which may have played a role in the tragic incident. Further details are lacking, but several media outlets have reported on the incident.