VICTORIA FALLS — The body of an American tourist believed to have slipped and fallen into the 108-metre-deep Victoria Falls gorge on Monday has been recovered.

A joint team of Zimbabwean and Zambian police officers carried out the recovery operation on Wednesday after the body was spotted lodged between rocks in the gorge late on Tuesday.

The alarm was raised by a Victoria Falls lodge on Tuesday when one of its guests – an American citizen – failed to return after crossing the Victoria Falls Bridge into Zambia.

Search efforts intensified after the body was sighted in the gorge, prompting authorities to shift from a rescue mission to a recovery operation.

Police divers, secured with ropes, made the hazardous descent into the gorge and placed the body on a stretcher, which was then hauled to the surface after several hours.

Zambian police later positively identified the body as that of the missing American tourist, who has not been named.

Investigations into the tourist’s death are continuing.