{"id":28713,"date":"2025-11-13T01:19:52","date_gmt":"2025-11-13T01:19:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new50.info\/?p=28713"},"modified":"2025-11-13T01:19:52","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T01:19:52","slug":"beloved-tv-chef-dies-in-helicopter-crash-at-43","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new50.info\/?p=28713","title":{"rendered":"Beloved TV chef dies in helicopter crash at 43"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"510\">Television host and chef <strong data-start=\"25\" data-end=\"43\">Mynie Steffens<\/strong> has tragically died at the age of 43 after a helicopter crash in South Africa, leaving the nation in mourning. The fatal accident occurred on <strong data-start=\"186\" data-end=\"209\">Monday, November 10<\/strong>, near the town of <strong data-start=\"228\" data-end=\"240\">Patensie<\/strong> in the Eastern Cape, where Steffens was piloting a helicopter during a pest control operation. Authorities confirmed that the aircraft struck a power line before crashing onto a citrus farm, resulting in severe damage to the helicopter and fatal injuries to Steffens.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"512\" data-end=\"943\">In an official statement, the <strong data-start=\"542\" data-end=\"590\">Accident and Incident Investigation Division<\/strong> said, \u201cInformation at our disposal indicates that the pilot was conducting a pest control operation flight when the helicopter struck power lines and crashed. The helicopter was substantially damaged due to impact force.\u201d Photos from the scene showed the aircraft in a grassy field, with debris scattered nearby, underscoring the force of the impact.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"945\" data-end=\"1522\">Steffens, best known for hosting the popular cooking show <em data-start=\"1003\" data-end=\"1019\">Speel met Vuur<\/em> (<em data-start=\"1021\" data-end=\"1037\">Play With Fire<\/em>), captivated South African audiences with her fearless, creative approach to food and her warm on-screen presence. Her longtime co-host and friend <strong data-start=\"1185\" data-end=\"1206\">Aldi van der Walt<\/strong> described her as \u201ca big heart, a gentle soul, the glue that kept people together.\u201d VIA TV, the network behind her show, shared a moving tribute: \u201cRest in peace, Mynie Steffens. You were adventurous until the end. With <em data-start=\"1425\" data-end=\"1441\">Play With Fire<\/em>, you showed us how to approach life with curiosity and bravery. Sleep softly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1524\" data-end=\"2056\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\">Outside of television, Steffens was a passionate author and adventurer. Her 2021 cookbook <em data-start=\"1614\" data-end=\"1637\">Mynie Plays with Fire<\/em> celebrated South Africa\u2019s vibrant open-fire cooking traditions. She was also an experienced pilot, often sharing flight videos that combined her love for food, travel, and exploration. Her untimely death leaves a deep void in the country\u2019s culinary and entertainment circles \u2014 but her legacy of courage, creativity, and authenticity will continue to inspire those who, like her, dare to live boldly and play with fire.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Television host and chef Mynie Steffens has tragically died at the age of 43 after a helicopter crash in South Africa, leaving the nation in mourning. The&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28714,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28713","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Beloved TV chef dies in helicopter crash at 43 -<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/new50.info\/?p=28713\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Beloved TV chef dies in helicopter crash at 43 -\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Television host and chef Mynie Steffens has tragically died at the age of 43 after a helicopter crash in South Africa, leaving the nation in mourning. 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