Prominent Dordrecht farmer Cas Schmidt, 67, died in an apparent freak shooting accident in the veld.
Provincial SAPS spokeswoman Brigadier Miranda Mills said: “He had a very old double-barreled shotgun which he put under a tree. When he tried to pick it up, some branches got caught in the trigger and he was shot in the face.”
A farm worker ran to get help.
Mills said police were investigating an inquest docket.
“No foul play is suspected at this stage. It was a freak accident.”
Schmidt’s brother Chris, said his brother had been on farm land on Saturday working with sheep.
“Dit was net ’n ongeluk,” he said. (It was just an accident.)
He said that when his brother picked it up, the weapon became entangled in the branches and the hammer was withdrawn and came down on the only round in the chamber and it went off.
He said his brother held a position in the local farmers’ association and had farmed all his life.
His brother was born and raised in the Dordrecht area.
“We went to a farm school, and later Dordrecht High.”
After school Cas Schmidt went farming, and grew the family business. He was not very sporty, but he knew a great deal about farming, said his brother.
He was always willing to help and share his knowledge, he said.
He held various positions in the local farming community and its organisations and was very popular, said Chris Schmidt.
He farmed with his son Gerhard.
“He was a very good farmer.”
Schmidt is survived by his wife Elsa and four children. — mikel@dispatch.co.za
Dordrecht farmer killed in freak shooting accident
Provincial SAPS spokeswoman Brigadier Miranda Mills said: “He had a very old double-barreled shotgun which he put under a tree. When he tried to pick it up, some branches got caught in the trigger and he was shot in the face.”
A farm worker ran to get help.
Mills said police were investigating an inquest docket.
“No foul play is suspected at this stage. It was a freak accident.”
Schmidt’s brother Chris, said his brother had been on farm land on Saturday working with sheep.
“Dit was net ’n ongeluk,” he said. (It was just an accident.)
He said that when his brother picked it up, the weapon became entangled in the branches and the hammer was withdrawn and came down on the only round in the chamber and it went off.
He said his brother held a position in the local farmers’ association and had farmed all his life.
His brother was born and raised in the Dordrecht area.
“We went to a farm school, and later Dordrecht High.”
After school Cas Schmidt went farming, and grew the family business. He was not very sporty, but he knew a great deal about farming, said his brother.
He was always willing to help and share his knowledge, he said.
He held various positions in the local farming community and its organisations and was very popular, said Chris Schmidt.
He farmed with his son Gerhard.
“He was a very good farmer.”
Schmidt is survived by his wife Elsa and four children. — mikel@dispatch.co.za
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