Everything to Know About Arne Næss Jr. : Meet the Late Father of Actor Evan Ross
By Elena Rostova
On January 13, 2004, Næss was staying at the luxury wine estate of business associate Franz Lurvink in Franschhoek, South Africa. At 66, he possessed the physical stamina of men half his age. That morning, he set out alone to climb in the rugged Groot Drakenstein mountain range.
Disaster struck on the descent. While rappelling down a steep, technical rock face, his anchoring equipment gave way from the mountainside. Næss plummeted more than 300 feet onto rocky scree below. Mountain rescue crews reached the site hours later, but the impact had killed him instantly.
The news shattered his international family. Evan Ross was only 15 years old. Diana Ross immediately flew to Norway to stand with their children and Næss’s extended European relatives during a grief-stricken memorial in Oslo. Investigators concluded the fall was an equipment anchor failure rather than a reckless error, but the outcome was final. One of the era's most seasoned mountaineers died on a regional training route.
Elena Rostova holds a Master's degree in Public Health Journalism. She covers groundbreaking medical research, holistic wellness trends, mental health awareness, and nutritional science.
