Freiheit found dead in Germany

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This article was published 27/08/2018 (2848 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A three-week search for missing Brandon man Jeffrey David Freiheit came to an end during the weekend when he was found dead at the bottom of a ridge.

A Facebook post by his wife Selena on Sunday morning confirmed that Freiheit’s body had been found.

“It is with overwhelming grief and sadness that I share with you that Jeff was found and is no longer with us,” Selena wrote in the post. “Through a broken heart I’ve found peace in knowing that he did not suffer. Our family is beyond grateful for the outpouring of support during this sad and difficult time.”

The 32-year-old teacher had gone hiking in Europe and hadn’t been heard from in more than three weeks.

Selena last heard from Freiheit on Aug. 2 when he was in Bad Tölz, Germany, en route along a hiking rail called Der Traumpfad (The Dream Way), which spans from Munich to Venice. Freiheit had booked accommodations along the trail, which he failed to show up for.

Selena and Freiheit’s mother, Kathy, flew to Germany approximately two weeks ago to assist in the search.

According to a video posted by Alpine Life, Freiheit’s body was discovered by his mom Kathy on Saturday at 11:36 a.m., at the bottom of a ridge where it is believed that he died instantly.

“Jeff must have fallen 50 to 60 metres from the ridgeline,” the man in the Alpine Life video said.

They believe he suffered no pain.

As news of his death made its rounds on Sunday, Freiheit’s friends and family members remembered him as a positive role model for many, offering their condolences on social media.

His cousin, Jamie Freiheit, told The Sun that he remembered watching him coach basketball at Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School in Brandon, describing him as “caring, loving, accepting and patient.”

“He was the kind of guy that wore his heart on his sleeve and gave everything he had to each practice and game,” Jamie said.

“He had the ability to make it fun and challenging, always willing to do things a bit different … He was a great coach.”

Freiheit was involved with many different things, from coaching to teaching, and he put a great deal of effort into everything he did, his cousin said.

“He had the drive and fire in his belly that fuelled his passion for whatever he was doing,” Jamie said. “I am so proud of him. I wish I could have told him that before.”

A GoFundMe page was created earlier this month to help support the search efforts for Freiheit and has raised more than $50,000.

On top of that, almost $2,000 was raised recently by the local business community, which came together to donate various items toward a gift basket that was auctioned off for $1,800.

There was also a volunteer search group on Facebook that had accumulated 534 members called “Volunteers searching for Jeff Freiheit,” many of whom reportedly assisted in the search overseas.

» mverge@brandonsun.com

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