Missing twin sisters found in River Dee in Aberdeen died from drowning

The death of two sisters who were found in the River Dee in Aberdeen was caused by drowning, it has been confirmed.

Henrietta and Eliza Huszti disappeared in the early hours of January 7, sparking a major search and rescue operation.

The women, 32 and part of a set of triplets originally from Hungary, were last seen crossing the Victoria Bridge and turning onto a footpath next to the river.

Their bodies were found in the River Dee on January 31, close to where they were last seen alive. Their deaths are not being treated as suspicious.

Their death certificates both record drowning as their cause of death.

Henrietta and Eliza had both lived and worked in the city for several years prior to their deaths.

On the day of their disappearance, a text was sent from Henrietta’s mobile phone to their landlady at 2.12am from the area of Victoria Bridge, indicating they would not be returning to their flat.

The phone was then disconnected from the network.

The landlady raised the alarm when she visited the property and found their personal belongings inside.

Police said a search of the flat showed no indication that they intended to leave the Aberdeen area.

As the investigation continued, it was discovered that the sisters had been seen on the same bridge and footpath the day before their disappearance.

CCTV showed Eliza and Henrietta spending five minutes on the footpath and the Victoria Bridge but not engaging with anyone else.

They were then seen walking back to their flat where they remained until their final movements.

Just days after a search of the river was stood down, the first body was discovered around 7.55am on January 31 and later confirmed to be Henrietta.

A second body was discovered around 9pm the same day and was confirmed to be Eliza.

– both 32 and from a set of triplets originally from Hungary – disappeared on 7 January.

Their bodies were found in the River Dee on 31 January near where they were last seen alive, and their identities were later confirmed. Police said the deaths were not being treated as suspicious.

Their death certificates both state the single cause of death as drowning.

The disappearance of coffee shop assistant Henrietta and hotel house keeper Eliza sparked a major search operation last month.

They were last seen in the early hours of 7 January, when they crossed the Victoria Bridge and turned right onto a footpath next to the river heading towards Aberdeen Boat Club.

The sisters had visited the Victoria Bridge the day before they disappeared.

They also texted their landlady from the bridge area in the early hours of 7 January to say they were giving up their Aberdeen flat.

The two missing sisters had not told relatives they planned to imminently move out.

The first body was found near Queen Elizabeth Bridge on the morning of 31 January.

Officers continued searching and found the second body in an area of the river near to the Victoria Bridge later that evening.

The Victoria Bridge and Queen Elizabeth Bridge are about half a mile apart on the River Dee.