'Sad Tragedy': Death Of Shakopee Cousins Determined As Accidental Drowning
CHASKA, Minn. (WCCO) -- A Twin Cities family is waiting for more answers after the bodies of two young women were found in a Chaska pond Sunday night.
Bushra Abdi and Zeynab Abdalla went missing early Saturday morning.
Sunday night, the car they were in was pulled out of a pond off Highway 41. Divers later recovered two bodies.
On Monday, a medical examiner said the cause of death was accidental drowning. WCCO talked with family members at the scene.
One of the first clues to what happened to those two young women is still visible on the ground. You can see tire tracks in the mud and grass that indicate a car went off Highway 41 and into a small pond.
Both worked overnight. Bushra at the Chaska Heights Senior Living facility, and Zeynab, who went by the nickname "Hapsa," at the Amazon Fulfillment Center in Shakopee. They were cousins.
Saturday morning, they decided to meet during their breaks, and as they drove together on Highway 41, something happened that sent their car into a pond, where they died together.
"We have no reason to believe that this is anything but a very sad tragedy. A traffic accident. And we are very sorry for those who lost their loved ones," Chaska Police Chief Scott Knight said.
Family members are struggling to make sense of it all.
"Especially the moms. Both moms are having a tough time. They are having a very tough time," said Fuad Abdalla, Zeynab's older brother.
"It could be accident or it could be someone following them and they were running off from that person. But we don't know exactly what happened," he said.
Friends say they admired their spirit and ambition.
"Full of dreams, hard workers, very caring, beautiful angels. Life cut so short. We are just in disbelief," said Ahmed Abshir, a family friend.
Investigators from Shakopee and Chaska police are still investigating what happened. They are reviewing evidence collected at the scene to get a better picture of what happened.
The family says they were told by police that a 911 call was made from one of the women's cell phones. They say a woman's voice could be heard saying "Help me" before the call was disconnected and the signal was lost.
Donations are being made to a fund to help pay for the funerals.
Here's how to help with Bushra Abdi's funeral expenses. Here's how to help with Zenyab Abdalla's funeral expenses.