Henrietta and Eliza Huszti, two Hungarian sisters aged 32, tragically died after being found in the River Dee in Aberdeen.
Their deaths, which have now been confirmed by death certificates, were the result of drowning.
The sisters had been missing since January 7, and their bodies were discovered on January 31 near the spot where they were last seen.
Disappearance and Search Efforts
The sisters were last captured on CCTV walking across the Victoria Bridge in Aberdeen, before turning onto a path that ran along the River Dee.
Their sudden disappearance in freezing conditions raised immediate concerns, as it was completely out of character for them to be out at such an early hour.
Police launched an extensive search, with divers and police dogs combing the river, harbor, and nearby coastline for over three weeks in an attempt to find them.
The search was intense, and officers were especially worried due to the cold temperatures at the time.
It was a particularly puzzling case, as the sisters had made contact with their landlady before disappearing.
A text message from Henrietta’s phone told the landlady they would not be coming back to their flat.
When the landlady read the message, she went to the apartment only to find the sisters’ belongings still inside, including Eliza’s phone.
Discovery of the Sisters’ Bodies
On January 31, the bodies of Henrietta and Eliza were found in the River Dee.
The first body was recovered near Queen Elizabeth Bridge at 7:50 AM, while the second was discovered later that evening, near Victoria Bridge at around 9:05 PM.
Despite the police’s extensive investigation, the deaths have not been classified as suspicious, and the cause of death for both sisters was confirmed as drowning.
Family’s Emotional Response and Theories
The sisters’ father, Miklós Huszti, who lives in Mezőladány, Hungary, near the Ukrainian border, expressed his shock and grief over the tragic event.
Last month, he spoke to the press, saying, “I have no idea what happened to my daughters, but I am sure they did not commit suicide.”
Miklós also cast doubt on the text message sent to the landlady, suggesting it might not have been from Henrietta, but instead from someone else who might have been involved in their disappearance.
He believes his daughters were lured to the waterfront and killed.
Life and Work in the UK
Henrietta and Eliza had lived in the UK for about 10 years, primarily in Aberdeen.
They had stable jobs, with one working in a café and the other as a hotel cleaner.
The sisters had remained in close contact with their family in Hungary, and there was no indication of any trouble or distress in their lives before their disappearance.
The sisters were part of a set of triplets, and they had grown up in Tornyospálca, Hungary, a small town near where their father now lives.
After their parents’ divorce, they moved to Budapest with their mother and brother Jozsef.
The third triplet, Edit, stayed in the area and later married.
The community and their family in Hungary are left grappling with the loss of Henrietta and Eliza, as they try to piece together the mystery of their untimely deaths.