Police have confirmed the death of Henry Badenhorst, the co-founder of gay dating site Gaydar.
Badenhorst plunged from the 23rd floor of the Michelangelo Towers in Sandton on the morning of 11 November.
Police spokesperson Mathapelo Peters told the Sandton Chronicle that the leap was fatal. “Police can confirm that a 51-year-old male jumped to his death from the 23rd floor of Michelangelo Towers. The man was certified dead at the scene by paramedics.”
Twitter user Khuthali tweeted her experience of the traumatising event. “I just saw someone drop from the Michael Angelo Towers. He smashed the glass shade covering outside the entrance and smashed into someone’s car and broke its back window.”
Badenhorst created the groundbreaking dating app Gaydar along with his business and life partner Gary Frisch. Frisch passed away in 2007 after he jumped from the balcony of a high rise building in London.
Gaydar’s managing director, Rob Curtis, shared the sentiments of thousands of gay men, whose lives had been improved by the app. “Eighteen years ago, Henry and his partner Gary revolutionised the way that gay men meet and in doing so created a safer environment for LGBT people everywhere. We are shocked and saddened to hear of Henry’s passing and send our sincerest sympathies to Henry’s friends and family,” he said.
Due to the fact that Badenhorst died at the same age as his ex-partner, and in a similar fashion, has made some suspect that this was a planned suicide.
