Family mourns only son’s death

LYDENBURG – A family is shattered after their son was killed in an accident two days after his 18th birthday.

On Thursday October 8 Robert Ulrich Bachran died when his car rolled and trapped him underneath the vehicle. The incident occurred outside Lydenburg on the De Kuilen Road. Hearts are heavy as his family, friends and teachers struggle to accept his untimely death.

The Bachran family had three children, one boy and two girls. According to Ronél, his mother, she wished time could just stand still because the thought of having to go on without him was terrifying.

“My son was an amazing person and I am struggling to come to terms with the fact that I will never see him again.

I wish maybe there was a sign to indicate that it was his last day or maybe if he had made it to the hospital, we might have had hope. But when they tell you that he is gone at the scene it is tough.”

“My son was the only one in the family around South Africa who could take our surname to the next generation, I had hoped that he would have many children.”

According to his sister, Lynn Bachran-Venter, the family was uncertain of what had happened that night.

“When he left the house, he said he wanted to go and test-drive his car on a gravel road to see if it was performing like it should.

“When my parents arrived at the scene they found two people trying to help him, however, he was under the car. By the time they managed to rescue him, he did not respond and was declared dead on the scene,” Venter said.

“When something like this happens the whole world stands still and you just want to be around your family because it was never expected,” she added.

Robert was a grade 12 learner of Hoërskool Lydenburg. According to a teacher Mr Stephan van der Merwe, he will be missed by his friends, teachers and all the learners.

“We will miss his dedication. Every time we needed a music system during assembly, he and his friend would make sure everything was sorted and when everyone was in a rush to go home they would stay behind and put everything away.

As the school we felt it would be great if we gave them honorary colours for the good work they did because we never had to remind them. He would usually come to you during the event and ask, ‘Sir are you happy with the sound?’

“We hope that that this will be a reminder to everyone that we need to live our lives to the fullest and live every day like it is the last one. We have lost a good learner. Not even once did he come to my office because of problems in the class,” said the principal, Mr Johan Loots. By the time of going to print the family had not yet confirmed the date of the funeral.