Man dies in fall at Stone Mountain Park

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Man dies in fall at Stone Mountain Park

Antony Edge, 35, died in a fall at Stone Mountain park Tuesday, March 23. The Emory grad student had gone to the park to study.

The body of Emory University graduate student Antony Edge was found Wednesday morning on the carving face side of Stone Mountain. He was reported missing Tuesday night. His wife, Melissa, is comforted by family and friends in Confederate Hall in Stone Mountain Wednesday.

Antony Edge's body was discovered about 8:20 a.m., according to Chuck Kelley, chief of police and fire at the park. Melissa Edge had come to the park at 10 p.m. and reported that he had not returned home, officials said.

Edge, who had hiked to the top of the mountain to study on Tuesday, fell about 600 feet, according to Kelley. Police told Edge's family of the discovery late Wednesday morning. Kim Frantz, sister of Antony Edge, is hugged as she talks with Stone Mountain police.

Police said Edge's body was found about 150 yards west of the famous carving of Civil War heroes. Investigators do not suspect foul play. His sister, Kim Frantz, hugs Melissa Edge's father, Bill Gardner.

Edge's blue Honda was found, still in the Confederate Hall parking lot. Stone Mountain police and GBI look over the car Wednesday morning.

Melissa Edge said she got concerned around 7 p.m. Tuesday when she tried to get in touch with her husband, but couldn't despite calling his cell phone every 5 to 10 minutes.

Melissa Edge told the AJC that her husband grew up in Atlanta and has climbed Stone Mountain "many times as a child with his father." "I'm not leaving this mountain until I find my husband," she said just before daybreak Wednesday. "I feel like I'm in a very, very bad dream and I hope to wake up any minute."

The carving side of the mountain is steep past where the warning signs warn not to cross the fence. The body of Antony Edge was found Wednesday morning on the carving face side of Stone Mountain.

The view facing the mountain at the bottom of the mountain just to the right of the carving.

Visitors to the top of the mountain can see warning signs are clearly posted on top of Stone Mountain and not to cross the fence.

Kelly Borre (left) and Danny Lindsey (right) from Athens take in the mountain top view Wednesday. Warning signs are clearly posted on top of Stone Mountain not to cross the fence.

Friends of the Antony Edge family who asked not to be identified came to the top of the mountain Wednesday to try and make some sense of the tragedy.

"It is a very steep area, but it's an area you would have had to cross the fence to get to," Kelley, the park official, said. "The mountain is very deceiving and that's why we have that fence," he added. "You can start over and it doesn't look that steep, but when you stop and turn around, the mountain is very steep."

Friends and family had headed up the mountain at daybreak Wednesday to search for Antony Edge, who entered the park just after 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Search crews spent Wednesday morning and overnight at Stone Mountain Park looking for Antony Edge. Friends and family headed up the mountain at daybreak Wednesday.

Antony Edge's father, Robert Edge (center) speaks with other search members Wednesday.

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The body of Emory University graduate student Antony Edge was found Wednesday morning on the carving face side of Stone Mountain. He was reported missing Tuesday night. His wife, Melissa, is comforted by family and friends in Confederate Hall in Stone Mountain Wednesday.

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