Instead the 17-year-old student, who lived in Yass and attended Campbell High School in Canberra, tragically had his life cut short on Thursday after an incident involving a log during a physical education class at Mount Ainslie.

Adriaan died in hospital after the incident, which is being investigated by police.

Lezanne Smith, a fellow South African expat and friend of the Roodt family, has set up a GoFundMe page to help the family pay for Adriaan's funeral.

She said Adriaan was "at his happiest" before his death, having just refurbished a car with his father and passed the test to receive his driver's licence.

Mrs Smith said Adriaan had also recently started dating her daughter, his long-time friend Jenna Smith.

Adriaan and Jenna went on three dates - to Floriade, the movies and a South African barbecue known as a braii.

"He’d always had a heart for Jenna, and finally Jenna and Adriaan got together," Mrs Smith said.

"That was so beautiful, but very short-lived. It was only a few weeks.

"... They’ve always been the best of friends, but it was just a very new little romance."

Mrs Smith said she and Jenna had raced to hospital to say goodbye to Adriaan after the Mount Ainslie incident, but did not make it in time.

"Jenna didn’t get to say goodbye and I think that was quite hard on her because they had plans for the weekend.

"They were going to bake a chocolate cake this weekend."

Mrs Smith, who has known the Roodt family for about seven years, said Adriaan was "a gentle-hearted soul and the sweetest child", who always took time out to include her nine-year-old son in any activities when their families got together.

The Roodt family moved to Australia from South Africa when Adriaan was eight and he and his younger sister Christelle, who spoke Afrikaans in their homeland, quickly learned to speak English.

He dreamed of becoming an electrician and enjoyed boxing, playing computer games and socialising with his family and large group of friends.

Mrs Smith said Adriaan worked at KFC in Yass for more than three years, and spent much of his earnings on food from the fast food restaurant.

She said Adriaan had only driven his younger sister Christelle to school for the first time the day he died.

"Their mum was very nervous that morning and she actually followed them to see that they got to school safely," Mrs Smith said.

"She even told a few friends that this had happened and she said she didn’t need to worry [because] they’re safe at school.

"Then, not two hours later, she got the phone call [about the incident on Mount Ainslie]."

Mrs Smith said Adriaan's parents Chris and Sandra, and sister Christelle, were "just broken" by his death.

The GoFundMe page, which had raised more than $5500 by Saturday evening, can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/funeral-amp-memorial-adriaan-roodt.