SERIAN (Jan 16): The quiet town of Serian was rocked by a devastating tragedy on January 14, as a multi-vehicle accident along Jalan Teo Kui Seng claimed five lives, including Caryn Anne Rinsly, 34, a cherished store manager and beloved youngest sibling in her family.
“Why do you leave me?” cried Audrey Laine Rinsly, Caryn’s older sister, as she mourned the sudden loss of her sister during a wake held at their home in Kampung Bunga.
Audrey, 40, described Caryn as mature, strong, and level-headed, contrasting herself as the family’s “crybaby” (congek). “She was always the strong one, both at home and at work. Her colleagues told me they looked up to her like a sister,” Audrey shared through tears.
On the day of the accident, Caryn had sent a text at 12:20pm, letting her sister know she was heading to work. Just 30 minutes later, her life was tragically cut short.
The accident involved three cars and two motorcycles. A vehicle veered into the opposite lane, causing a catastrophic collision that claimed the lives of Caryn, two 16-year-old students, and two others, including her e-hailing driver.
Audrey tearfully recounted the moment she realized something was wrong. “I tried calling her when I heard about the accident, but there was no answer. I didn’t want to believe it could be her,” she said.
Caryn, a store manager at a global coffeehouse chain in Kuching International Airport, was admired by her colleagues for her leadership and kindness. Her family, including her brother Ian Christian Rinsly, 43, and mother Evelyn Annie Peter Piang, are struggling to cope with the immense void she has left behind.
The sisters had plans to spend their upcoming day off cooking lasagna together—a simple tradition now steeped in sorrow.
Caryn’s funeral will be held at Kampung Bunga Seventh-Day Adventist Church this Friday at 11am, followed by her burial at the church cemetery.
