An American woman who went missing while on a hike on Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa, has died , according to authorities who located her body days after she disappeared.
Brook Cheuvront was a 20-year-old North Carolina student visiting the country for an internship she was completing at the University of Cape Town. Cheuvront was reported missing on Saturday after a tracking app she was using stopped updating, and friends could not reach her.
Just two days after she vanished, the girl's devastated father, Steve Cheuvront, posted: "She was recovered. We are devastated. God help me and us," as international authorities contacted the family.
The management of SANParks, which manages Table Mountain and other national parks, said the cause of death was still unclear, and an inquest into her death has been opened.
Cheuvront was a sophomore at UNC and a Morehead-Cain Scholar. Previously, she was the 2022 valedictorian at Avery County High School, where she was a track runner, president and founder of the environmental club, captain of the Science Olympiad team, and a member of the marching band and varsity soccer team.
Relatives and family members took to social media to memorialize the young woman. "Brook was a bright light to everyone she encountered. She was brilliant in every sense. She grew up with my kids and this is a loss to every person that knew her. I love this family more than I can express," wrote a family friend.
"Brook was definitely one of the most smart, funny, and kind hearted individuals I have ever met. I am grateful to have grown up with someone so special. Absolutely heartbreaking to say goodbye so soon. Rest easy Brook," posted another friend of the family, complete with baby photos of the blonde-haired student.
An initial search was conducted by rangers, wilderness search and rescue members, and trail runners until late Saturday evening when it was no longer practical to continue, said Louw. An aircraft joined the search the next day and helped to locate the body.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Malcolm Pojie said a search party found the woman's body at around 2 p.m. local time. "The body of the missing hiker was found in an area which is part of Devil's Peak, and was retrieved by EMS helicopter," Pojie said.
South African authorities have urged people to avoid hiking on their own, suggesting it be done in groups of at least four people.
Earlier today, SANParks posted on social media to quell rumors of rampant crime at the park: "South African National Parks (SANParks) has taken note of reports suggesting that there are growing concerns of crime in Table Mountain National Park (TMNP). Considering official statistics and visitor numbers, such expressions are speculative and may cause unnecessary alarm which undermines worthy and successful efforts. Over the last year, the official crime statistics have drastically decreased from 16 and 32 respectively in October and November 2023 to 6 in July 2024 and 3 in August 2024."
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