Cape Town - The death of budding actor Kieran Schultz, the son of former 7de Laan actor Waldemar Schultz, has shocked many friends and fans across the country.
Kieran, 14, fell more than 20m to his death at about lunchtime on Saturday in Hermanus.
Witnesses said the former Egoli actor lost his balance and fell when he was on a low wall at the cliff, opposite the Harbour House Hotel.
Reports indicated that Kieran had tried to grab on to a branch, but fell 27m onto the rocks below.
People who were kayaking on the water, still shocked after the horror fall, said they thought at first that a bag had fallen over the cliff.
“But it was actually a child falling through the air,” Walker Bay Adventures owner Herman de Vries told Weekend Argus.
Kieran was building his acting career and studied at the Stage Right Drama School in Somerset West.
He was recently named the best junior actor in the National Acting Competition for High School pupils, where he also received the overall third prize.
The event, held in May, had about 500 entrants from across South Africa, and Kieran managed to beat older and more experienced actors.
He also had a recurring role as Walt in South African soapie Egoli: Place of Gold. The series ended, after 18 years, in March 2010.
He was in Grade 8 at Parel Vallei High School. Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel André Traut said the circumstances surrounding the pupil’s fall were being investigated.
“At about 1pm, he slipped and fell at the whale look-out point in Hermanus and sustained severe head injuries. He later died after being admitted to hospital,” Traut said.
An EMS team tried for more than 40 minutes to resuscitate Kieran after his fall.
Traut added that an inquest had been opened.
Friends and fans took to social networking sites to express their shock and share messages of condolences.
Radio personality Soli Philander tweeted: “Heart-breaking news of the death of Waldemar Schutlz’s son. Thinking of the family. RIP Kieran.”
The teen’s classmate, Nicole Seegers, tweeted: “RIP Kieran Schultz. A boy in grade 8 at Parel Vallei High School, he was in my class.”
Another twitter user, Megan Lord, shared a Bible scripture and her condolences: “Prayers go out to Kieran Schultz’s friends and family. Philippians 4:13: ‘I can do all things through Him who strengthens me’. Be strong.”
According to the website Thespians.co.za, Kieran’s mother, Ira Blanckenberg, runs a drama school.
She and Waldemar met while she was studying. They also have a daughter, Dhania.