Cameron Waldeck-Cooks Death: Timeline of Tragic Sabie Weekend for St Stithians Pupils
- Cameron Waldeck-Cooks, 17, and Ethan Coetzee, 19, were both found dead at a Sabie lodge on 3 August 2026
- Police upgraded the case from an inquest to murder after preliminary post-mortem results pointed to strangulation
- Cameron's parents released a statement confirming their independent pathologist's findings and announced a memorial service
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Cameron Waldeck-Cooks, a 17-year-old Grade 11 pupil at St Stithians Girls' College, and Ethan Coetzee, 19, who matriculated from St Stithians Boys' College in 2025, were found dead at a lodge in Sabie, Mpumalanga, on Monday, 3 August 2026.
Source: Facebook
Cameron had joined two families on the hiking trip as part of her pursuit of the Gold level of the President's Award for Youth Empowerment, the South African equivalent of the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award, which requires participants to complete a multi-day adventurous journey. Ethan was among those in the group accompanying her.
How the discovery unfolded
Graham Coetzee discovered Cameron's body at the Sabie lodge on the morning of 3 August. Both she and Ethan were found dead in a room at the property. Following the discovery, Cameron's parents, Derrick Cooks and Claire Waldeck-Cooks, appointed an independent forensic pathologist to conduct their own examination.
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St Stithians College published tribute statements on Facebook for both pupils on Tuesday, 4 August.
Two days later, on Wednesday, 5 August, police spokesperson Colonel Mavela Masondo confirmed that an inquest had been opened and that a post-mortem would be conducted to establish the cause of death. At that stage, no indication of foul play, suicide, accident or illness was provided.
Source: Facebook
Parents confirm pathologist findings
By Friday, 7 August, the investigation had escalated significantly. Colonel Masondo announced that the inquest had been upgraded to a murder case. Preliminary post-mortem findings indicated the female may have died by strangulation, while the male is believed to have died by suicide. Police called on the public to refrain from speculating while the investigation remains ongoing.
Later the same day, Cameron's parents released a formal statement via Facebook, confirming that their independent pathologist's findings were consistent with strangulation and suffocation. Derrick Cooks and Claire Waldeck-Cooks stated they were not in a position to give interviews or comment further at this stage, and appealed to the media and public to protect the privacy of their family and of all children affected by Cameron's death.
The family extended gratitude to the St Stithians community, Cameron's friends, and the netball and rowing communities for their support. They confirmed that a memorial service would be held later in August, with further details to be announced at the appropriate time.
Student dies after collapsing during rugby match
Briefly News previously reported that Paul Klaasen, an 18-year-old first-year student at Akademia's Paarl campus, collapsed during an informal touch rugby game on Monday evening
Staff, fellow students and emergency services responded to the scene but were unable to save the BEd student
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Source: Briefly News
