It seems that police have done an about turn regarding the circumstances surrounding the death of an unnamed man on Table Mountain’s Pipe Track hike.

A runner found the man’s body on Sunday morning and told his story to IOL:

A runner, who asked to remain anonymous, who went for his regular run along the Pipe Track and down Kasteelpoort, made the gruesome discovery at about 8.45am on Sunday. He was one of the first runners to come across the body of the unknown man with his throat slit from “ear to ear”. The man, a trail racer, described the scene as one “from a horror movie”…

He said the woman who first came across the body and alerted police, told authorities that the man’s “throat was slit from ear to ear” and his wallet and phone was not stolen.

“The police said they suspect the man had been murdered. That and the fact that nothing was stolen from him is a cause for alarm. I just would like to warn runners and hikers. I was up that mountain and I was thinking to myself that it was unsafe running alone.

“I feel bad for the man’s family. It is really horrific, I am still shocked at what happened,” he said.

However, following statements by Western Cape police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Andrè Traut this morning, it appears the police have changed their minds. News24 reports:

“Preliminary investigations on the scene suggested that the man was a victim of crime and that he sustained a stab wound, however after a thorough investigation it was discovered that he possibly fell and sustained the fatal wound as a result thereof,” Traut said.

The name of the victim has yet to be released, with some speculating that the man could have slit his throat falling onto wires.

[sources:iol&news24]