Climber's body found on ledge
2007-08-06 20:52
Cape Town - A spokesperson for Wilderness Search and Rescue, Anwaaz Bent, says the body of an American tourist, David Andretta who died on a solo rock-climbing excursion on Table Mountain, has been found on a ledge.
Andretta, 31, had planned to scale the mountain on Sunday while his wife took a walking route up Plattekloof Gorge.
When hours later Andretta had not arrived at the top, his wife phoned for help.
An aerial search with a Skymed helicopter had to be called off in the gathering darkness, but searchers combed the mountain until after midnight.
The search resumed on Monday morning, and Andretta's body was found.
Rescuers intended to hoist it into a cable car so it could be taken down to the lower cable station.
Bent said it appeared as if Andretta had been attempting one of the upper Africa climbing routes.
It seemed he had injuries to the chest, head and lower legs.
Bent also said a specialist ice and snow climbing team was waiting for better weather before trying to retrieve the body of Capetonian Andrew Johns, who fell down a gorge while hiking on the Matroosberg near Ceres.
- SAPA