Beloved father dies after vehicle plunges off DEADLY Voëlklip cliff

A 50-year-old father, Bertus van Niekerk, died after his vehicle plunged off the DEADLY Voëlklip cliff on Thursday afternoon.

HIS BODY WAS RECOVERED ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON

According to a report by the George Herald, Bertus was described as a loving man who would be missed.

His mother, Kobie Theron, told the publication on Friday that Bertus was a loved man.

“Everyone loved him and we are going to miss him dearly. His loss leaves an emptiness that nothing will ever fill,” said his broken mother, Kobie Theron, earlier today.”

His mother said.

BERTUS LEAVE BEHIND THREE CHILDREN, TWO DAUGHTERS AND A SON

He leaves behind his two daughters, his son, his mother, his sister, and his wife. The family has requested that their privacy be respected.

Police spokesperson Sergeant Christopher Spies said emergency services were dispatched to the scene at about 15:30 on Thursday.

“Emergency services were dispatched to the scene at about 15:30 after a member of the public alerted authorities about a vehicle that went down a cliff. A search and rescue operation resulted in the retrieval of the body of a 50-year-old man from George, later.”

Sergeant Christopher Spies

He said George police opened an inquest docket following the incident.

ALSO READ: Husband kills wife before turning the gun on himself at Voëlklip

POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING THE INCIDENT

“The investigation into this matter continues.”

NOT THE FIRST FATAL ACCIDENT AT THE EXACT SPOT:

• A husband killed his wife before turning the gun on himself at Voëlklip in George in April 2022. A passerby discovered the body of a man with his wife seated next to him on a bench in critical condition at around 16:30. 
• The 57-year-old Jo-Anne Lourens from Delville Park was killed when her vehicle recently went down the notorious Voëlklip cliff in George in March 2022.
• Conrad Maree (33) was killed when his bakkie went over the deadly cliff on Tuesday, 8 February.
• The deaths of the two 75-year-old women at Voëlklip Cliff in February 2021 was one of many similar incidents that have taken place at the popular Western Cape fishing spot over the years.
• In January 2021, a 34-year-old woman was travelling with her daughter, 2, and son, 8, when her vehicle also plunged off the cliff. The son managed to escape before the crash. The toddler’s body was found by a fisherman a month later.
• In October 2019, Heidi Scheepers and her two children, Hugo and Cozette – aged 6 and 2 – died after their vehicle fell down the same cliff. The bodies of Heidi and Hugo were recovered but not of Cozette. 

ALSO READ: Tragedy strikes again at Voëlklip: Man, 33, dies after bakkie plunges off cliff

According to a report by Dotsure, Voëlklip has been a point of contention among concerned residents, who have debated whether the road should be closed.

The report furthermore stated that it was declared safe for public use by the Herold’s Bay Ratepayers Association and Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Roads, provided drivers exercise caution.

It suggested that the matter of road closure was made more complex because the site runs through privately-owned land and is recognised as an area of recreational and tourism value.

“To address this, George Municipality facilitated a Task Team, which consisted of the Department of Environmental Affairs, Western Cape Provincial Transport and Public Works, Herold’s Bay Ratepayers Association, and the owner of the property. Remedial work was proposed by the Task Team and approved by the provincial authority – but because the road is on private land, the municipality was not allowed to allocate funds to it and the project was unable to move forward.”

ALSO READ: Missing woman killed in an accident at the notorious Voëlklip cliff