Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve, Victoria Falls Writer
THE Zambian Police Service has confirmed the identity of a foreign national whose body was retrieved from the Zambezi River on Wednesday evening as 49-year-old American tourist, Christopher Erik Daniel Gibbs (pictured).
The grim discovery concludes a cross-border search initiated after the man was reported missing in Zimbabwe.
Zambia Police Service Commanding Officer for Southern Province, Moono Namalongo, detailed the circumstances in an official statement released on Thursday.
He said the incident was first reported on Wednesday, January 7, 2026.
“On January 7, 2026, at 8AM, Livingstone Central Police Station received a report of a suspected drowning incident involving a foreign national along the Zambezi River at the Victoria Falls danger point in Livingstone District,” said Namalongo.
He revealed that the alert came via a phone call from a Zimbabwe Republic Police officer, who reported that Gibbs had allegedly drowned on the Zambian side of the Victoria Falls and that his body had been sighted trapped on a rock at a location that was not easily accessible.
He said preliminary investigations indicate Gibbs entered Zambia on January 5, after having been reported missing in Zimbabwe, where he was visiting as a tourist.
A major multi-agency retrieval operation was launched involving the Zambia police, army, air force, and fire brigade.
“On January 7, 2026, around 6PM, the body of the deceased was successfully retrieved from the Victoria Falls danger point area,” said OC Namalongo.
While initial observations suggest injuries from a fall, the exact cause of death remains undetermined.
“The exact cause of death will be determined following a post-mortem examination,” he said.
The body is at Batoka Mortuary awaiting the procedure. Police investigations are ongoing, with further updates promised to the public.
