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Issue 3, January 21, 2004:
Arne Næss Jr. Dies
Climbing in South Africa
Norwegian shipping magnate
and mountaineer, Arne Næss Jr., the ex-husband of soul diva Diana
Ross, was killed on Tuesday in a mountain accident in South Africa.
By IRINA LEE
Arne Næss Jr. set off
to go climbing alone early on Tuesday morning.
"Mr. Næss was a guest on the farm Lomarins in Franschoek. He
went climbing at 8 a.m. this morning (Tuesday) and fell to his death at
about 12:30 p.m.," police captain Etienne Terblanche told News24.
The wine-producing town of Franschoek is situated about 50 miles north
of Cape Town.
Among South Africa’s Wealthiest
"It’s not certain what the cause of death was, but it’s
believed to be a climbing accident," International Media Liaison
Senior Superintendent Mary Martins-Engelbrecht told Reuters.
She said Næss was a guest of Johann Rupert, executive chairman of
luxury goods firm, Swiss-South African Richemont. Rupert’s family
is ranked as one of the top two wealthiest families in South Africa.
Wilderness Search and Rescue spokesman Kevin Tromp said Mr. Rupert had
been watching Mr. Næss’s progress through binoculars.
"Mr. Næss telephoned his host Johann Rupert shortly before
12:30 p.m. (10:30 GMT) to tell him that there was a thick mist and that
he would be descending the cliff," Mr. Tromp told French news agency
AFP.
"Mr. Rupert looked through his binoculars and saw Mr Naess descending.
He turned away for less than a minute, and when he looked again, Mr Næss’s
ropes had disappeared."
Never Been Climbed Before
Rescuers found Mr. Næss’s body in a thick bush high in
the mountain.
Mr. Tromp said the Norwegian tycoon had "wanted to climb a ridge
that had never been climbed before and be back before lunch".
He said the ridge was not a difficult one, but was "not on a clean
line."
"Mr. Næss fell while he was abseiling. His camming device,
which locks in the crags of rocks, had come loose," he said.
A post-mortem on the body will be conducted on Thursday, police said Wednesday.
Police have opened an inquest docket into the death, but the cause of
Næss’s death has not yet been determined.
Næss was an avid mountaineer who climbed Mount Everest, the world’s
highest mountain. He challenged Everest on April 29, 1985, via the standard
South East Ridge route as leader of a Norwegian expedition. Another famous
mountaineer joined that day – Chris Bonington.
Born in Germany
Næss was born in Germany on August 12, 1937. His well-known
uncle, after whom he was named, was a leader in the World War II Norwegian
resistance and was considered the father of "Deep Ecology" –
a philosophy of articulate ecological beliefs, which works to shape ecological
dialogue with non-ecological forces.
In 1986 Arne Næss Jr. married American singer Diana Ross. The couple
split in 1999, and the shipping magnate made headlines in Norway after
he announced the separation on Norwegian TV 2 – before he had informed
his wife.
Arne Næss Jr. leaves seven children; among them are U.S. singer
and songwriter Leona Kristina Naess, 29. He also had two sons with Diana
Ross and two children with his partner, Norwegian Camilla Astrup.
Previous Stories:
• Issue 2, January
14, 2004
Norway's Kurt Ready
To Conquer the World
• Issue 1, January
7, 2004
Dragsten Honors Sons of
Norway's Founding Fathers
