The family of Jane Sheahan has spoken of their distress after the Roma mother's body was found two days after she was swept away in flood waters.

Mrs Sheahan had her seven-year-old son Darcy in the car with her when they became caught in flood waters on Friday.

They both managed to get out of the car but Mrs Sheahan was swept away while Darcy was being rescued.

Members of Mrs Sheahan's family gathered at the house of her mother, Gladys Simon, in Mount Lofty yesterday afternoon, where they were informed that Mrs Sheahan's body had been found.

Mrs Simon said the family was grappling with the fact her daughter was gone.

"She was just a lovely person," she said.

"We're still trying to deal with the grief. We were still very hopeful (she would be found alive).

"We're just coming to grips with it."

Mrs Sheahan's brother John Simon struggled to find words to describe his sister.

"We're just devastated," he said.

"She was the most amazing person you could ever meet.

"You could ring 1000 people and they would all say the same thing, she was amazing."

Mr Simon also disputed a Sunday Mail report which suggested his sister had been warned by onlookers about driving through the rising water.

"It's totally untrue ... It gives the members of the public the impression that she was irresponsible," Mr Simon said.

"My sister would never have done anything like that, she would never ever risk her children in any way."

Sunday Mail editor, Scott Thompson, said the paper respected the family's grief in what was a most terrible time, however stood by the report.