Trousers worn by a young angler who died when he plummeted off a 30-metre Morgan Bay cliff three weeks ago washed up on the beach on Friday.
His wallet containing cash and cards was found in a pocket.
A fateful last photograph taken by Jacques Barnard’s wife, Alexandra, of him fishing on the precipitous ledge not long before his death has also emerged.
An autopsy performed by high-profile Durban pathologist Dr Reggie Perumal last Wednesday revealed that Barnard had not drowned but had died on impact from the fall. It also showed he had no defensive wounds.
This is according to East London sleuth Christian Botha, who has been hired by Barnard’s heartbroken Bonnie Doon family to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.
Barnard, 29, a luxury yacht chef, was on a three-month holiday in South Africa with his American wife Alexandra, whom he wed in the States last year, when the tragedy occurred.
The couple had arrived at the Mitford Hotel to spend a weekend with Barnard’s sister and her husband and baby daughter just hours before. Barnard, a keen fisherman, and Alexandra, whom he met on a luxury ship that she captained, had decided to make the most of the moonlit night. The couple went to the cliff just after midnight on Saturday October 15.
At about 12.45am Alexandra took a photograph of her husband standing on a ledge holding a fishing rod and left the cliff an hour later to return to the hotel, while he stayed behind.
Emergency rescue teams were deployed when he had not returned by dawn and his body was found that afternoon floating about 400 metres from the Kei Mouth lighthouse. Alex returned to the US on Saturday October 29.
Botha said Barnard’s trousers had been recovered from the shallows near the lighthouse by a member of the public last Friday. “His wallet was in his pocket, which ruled out any form of robbery.”
Botha, who is also the family’s spokesman, said Barnard’s father Christo Barnard hired him because the family wanted closure regarding their son’s death.
He said he had visited the site of the fishing trip a few days ago.
“I spoke to a couple of local fishermen who said no one fishes from that spot because it is too high.” — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
Robbery ruled out in death of angler who fell
His wallet containing cash and cards was found in a pocket.
A fateful last photograph taken by Jacques Barnard’s wife, Alexandra, of him fishing on the precipitous ledge not long before his death has also emerged.
An autopsy performed by high-profile Durban pathologist Dr Reggie Perumal last Wednesday revealed that Barnard had not drowned but had died on impact from the fall. It also showed he had no defensive wounds.
This is according to East London sleuth Christian Botha, who has been hired by Barnard’s heartbroken Bonnie Doon family to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.
Barnard, 29, a luxury yacht chef, was on a three-month holiday in South Africa with his American wife Alexandra, whom he wed in the States last year, when the tragedy occurred.
The couple had arrived at the Mitford Hotel to spend a weekend with Barnard’s sister and her husband and baby daughter just hours before. Barnard, a keen fisherman, and Alexandra, whom he met on a luxury ship that she captained, had decided to make the most of the moonlit night. The couple went to the cliff just after midnight on Saturday October 15.
At about 12.45am Alexandra took a photograph of her husband standing on a ledge holding a fishing rod and left the cliff an hour later to return to the hotel, while he stayed behind.
Emergency rescue teams were deployed when he had not returned by dawn and his body was found that afternoon floating about 400 metres from the Kei Mouth lighthouse. Alex returned to the US on Saturday October 29.
Botha said Barnard’s trousers had been recovered from the shallows near the lighthouse by a member of the public last Friday. “His wallet was in his pocket, which ruled out any form of robbery.”
Botha, who is also the family’s spokesman, said Barnard’s father Christo Barnard hired him because the family wanted closure regarding their son’s death.
He said he had visited the site of the fishing trip a few days ago.
“I spoke to a couple of local fishermen who said no one fishes from that spot because it is too high.” — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
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