Rock star’s son aged 15 dies in 60ft cliff plunge
He falls close to where teens diced with death
THE teenage son of rock star Nick Cave has fallen more than 60ft to his death from a fenced-off clifftop.
Arthur Cave, 15, who had a twin brother, was found on an underpass below the cliff two miles from his family’s home on Tuesday evening.
The tragedy took place at Ovingdean Gap on the outskirts of Brighton, ten miles down the coast from Seaford, East Sussex, where a group of students were pictured sitting on a crumbling cliff 300ft above the beach on Saturday.
Last night police said Arthur’s death was not being treated as suspicious.
His parents, former model Susie Bick, 48, and 57-year- old Cave – who live in a £2.5million townhouse in Kemptown, Brighton – visited the scene yesterday to look at flowers and tributes left by their son’s friends.
In a statement, Arthur’s parents said: ‘Our son Arthur died on Tuesday evening. He was our beautiful, happy, loving boy.’
Arthur was found on the underpass by passers-by who tried to administer first aid. Paramedics took him to hospital in Brighton where he was pronounced dead.
Yesterday his twin Earl left a heartbreaking note at the cliff with flowers, saying Arthur was the ‘best brother’ he could ask for.
‘Forever in our thoughts Arthur,’ he wrote. ‘I love you so much. You were a joy to be around and I will never forget you.’ Arthur – a keen drummer and skateboarder – attended Bede’s School in Upper Dicker, near Hailsham, East Sussex, where fees range from £19,500 a year for day students to £30,000 for boarders.
Last night a selfie of Arthur emerged, showing him happy and relaxed yards away from the cliff where he fell to his death.
The photograph on his Snapchat account showed the teenager 90 minutes before he fell. The Ovingdean windmill could be seen in the background of the picture.
Arthur’s best friend Ed Bucknall, 15, from Hove, East Sussex, fought
‘Must be so hard on his twin’
back tears as he said: ‘ He was a friend, my best friend. I saw him every day and I can’t believe what’s happened. I was with him in the morning, he was round mine.
‘He was one of the nicest guys you could meet, he was so funny and just so much fun. He loved skating, we always used to skateboard together. And now we can’t.
‘I’m devastated, I can’t even explain it – I’m just broken. I’ve been distraught ever since I heard. I was with his brother Earl when I heard and I went and saw their dad.
‘I’m not sure what Arthur was doing at the time, I have no idea how he would have fallen. He was just such a nice guy, you couldn’t have asked for a nicer mate.’
Friend Amelia Parsons said she was ‘shocked’ by the death.
The 15-year- old, from Brighton, said: ‘I don’t know how this could have happened, he was a really, really great guy. He loved his skat- ing, he was always smiling and always happy to be around.
‘He loved his friends and family, he was a caring guy and I’ve been distraught since it happened. I feel really sorry for his twin brother, it must be so hard on him.’
Cave, dubbed rock music’s ‘Prince of Darkness’, found fame in the early Eighties as the frontman of The Birthday Party before forming Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. The Australian has two other children from previous relationships.
Arthur had previously been a pupil at Lancing College, an independent school near Brighton. Headmaster Dominic Oliver said: ‘We are all deeply saddened to learn of his death and our sympathies and thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.’ Last night Arthur’s Facebook page had messages saying: ‘Forever in my heart,’ and, ‘Will never be forgotten.’