Husband who lost wife, kids in cliff plunge rejects speculation about tragedy

Etienne Scheepers, who lost his wife and two children at Herolds Bay, when their vehicle plunged off a cliff into the ocean, has dismissed speculation that the tragedy was influenced by financial or marital problems at home.

His wife Heidi, 35, and their children Hugo, 2, and Cozette, 6, went missing last Tuesday.

Hugo's body was found floating in a gorge in Voëlklip last Thursday, while a woman's body, later identified as that of Heidi, was recovered later by police divers.

Scheepers said in a statement to the George Herald that there was nothing untoward happening before the disappearance of his wife and children.

“We are personally financially sound and our businesses are doing well. We are in no financial plight. I also did not commit any form of fraud, have any affairs or beat my wife and children,” he said.

Describing what happened on the day they went missing, he said: “We took a drive down to the beach to spend time with the children ... We did not have an argument of any kind.”

He said he left them there to pick up his car and to check on a boat, as they were leaving for a family holiday in Mozambique with his brothers the next day.

Scheepers said his wife said she would see him at home.

When he arrived at their house in Oubaai, Heidi and the children had not arrived.

“I asked our housekeeping staff if they had seen anyone and they told me the last time they saw Heidi and the children was when we left for the beach. Heidi had left her phone at home as it was just going to be a quick trip to the beach. She also didn't pack anything like bottles or dummies for the children.”