Zambian police have confirmed that a body recovered at the Victoria Falls World Heritage Site is that of American tourist Christopher Gibbs who had been reported missing in Zimbabwe earlier this week.
Southern Province police chief Moono Namalongo told state media that the body was identified on Wednesday after Zimbabwean authorities alerted their Zambian counterparts that Gibbs had failed to return to his accommodation in Victoria Falls town.
He had entered Zambia through the Victoria Falls Border Post on 5 January.
A joint search operation involving the Zambia Police, Zambia Army Marine Unit, Zambia Air Force and the Livingstone City Council Fire Brigade retrieved the body from the Victoria Falls danger point on Wednesday night.
Initial assessments indicate injuries consistent with a fall from a height although a post‑mortem is expected to determine the exact cause of death.
Gibbs’ disappearance had prompted cross‑border coordination between Zimbabwean and Zambian law‑enforcement agencies, given the high tourist traffic and known risks around the gorge area of the falls.
The body has been taken to Batoka Mortuary at the Livingstone University Teaching Hospital as investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident continue.
JN/APA