American Tourist Falls To His Death While On Holiday In South Africa

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It was a spur of the moment idea to climb Table Mountain, one of South Africa's world renowned landmarks in the city of Cape Town. David and his wife decided to climb the mountain on separate paths. They had arranged to meet at the cable car. Davids body was found on the Upper Africa Ledge. His body was brought down in a cable car, where it was met by his wife. David was from Washington DC.

David and Melissa, both medical doctors, had planned to visit the Cape Wine lands, but when they saw Table Mountain, they decided to climb it instead.

Melissa reached the top of the mountain and waited for her husband who was an experienced climber. When he did not arrive she called the Wilderness Search and Rescue, who arrived shortly afterwards. They waited a while to see if he arrived with another group of tourists. He was not with the group and the rescue team started searching, while Melissa paced up and down, sometimes looking up at the mountain through her binoculars. She wept when describing the clothes he was wearing.

More than 20 rescuers and a sniffer dog were involved in the search, which was hampered by heavy rain and a mist covering the mountain.

The couple who met at Georgetown University in 1995, and married for less than a year, were to have left for Namibia to-day.

A witness said most of the exhausted rescue team had tears in their eyes.