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Matie kills himself on birthday
15/08/2007 23:06 - (SA)
Sonika Johnston, Die Burger
Gourits - "It's going to be an etter (nightmare) of a day," reads an SMS a Matie maths wizard sent his mother before jumping off the Gourits River bridge.
Bernard Broens, a master's student in applied mathematics, died on Wednesday on his 24th birthday.
His body was spotted at about 08:30 by bungee jumping instructor Thomas Ngomana, where it lay below the bridge on the bank of the Gourits River.
Ngomana walked down the incline and found the Matie's body, clad in denims and a white t-shirt.
"He was lying on his back and there was just a bit of blood in his ears. Otherwise he looked as if he was sleeping."
"His purse was lying next to him and there was a (University of) Stellenbosch student card in it."
Broens's Renault Clio was found abandoned in the parking area near the bridge.
At the spot where he'd apparently jumped from the 65-metre bridge a pair of black Crocs shoes, a bottle of Vodka with about one quarter gone and a 500ml bottle of water were placed neatly side-by-side.
On the cellphone found on him was an SMS message to his mother which ended with the words "it's going to be an etter (nightmare) of a day.
Professor Prieur du Plessis from the university's department for applied mathematics was shocked to hear of Broens's death.
"He was a promising, bright fellow. I still saw him last week, master's students come and go as they like."
"I heard this morning that the secretary was looking for him because he had not pitched up for a tutorial he was supposed to give."
Du Plessis said Broens "certainly did not" have academic problems.
The university conveyed its condolences to Broens's family.
- Die Burger
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