Why did they Kill off Brad Carlton on the Y&R?

I've been watching the show since Day One, and have watched Brad evolve from Pool Boy to Executive. I feel like I lost a son! Why kill off a character who has been around so long yet has years to go! Let Victor the Curmudgeon Newman retire from show business if they want to cut budget. His salary has to be sky high. The scene under the ice was our last visual of Brad's character. Totally gruesome and disrespectful to the character and to his fans.