Brook Cheuvront missing UNC hiker found dead in South Africa’s Table Mountain amid speculation of crime as cause of death yet to be announced. Advisory had warned against solo hikers trekking area.
A 20-year-old American student hailing from the University of North Carolina (UNC) has been found dead after being reported missing during a hike on Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa. The female hiker’s death comes despite local authorities previously putting out an advisory against solo hikers trekking out on their own.
The body of Brook Cheuvront was recovered on Sunday, a day after a tracking app she was using stopped updating and friends were unable to reach her, SANParks spokesman JP Louw told AP.
‘Plsee take down all post looking for brook. She was recovered. We are devastated. God help me and us.’ Brook’s father, Steve Cheuvront posted on Facebook.
Cause of death unclear
The cause of Cheuvront’s death is unclear. The sophomore was interning at University of Cape Town, and in addition to being a Morehead-Cain scholar was the 2022 valedictorian at Avery County High School, where her mother teaches, according to CBS17.
‘One of our teachers tragically lost a loved one today,’ the high school’s principal, Jennifer O’Briant, wrote on Facebook. ‘We will have counselors and pastors present tomorrow at school for students who may need support. If students feel led to, please wear blue in support of the Cheuvront family.’
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, Louw told AP.
An aircraft joined the search the next day and helped to locate the body, according to WCNC.
Fears of crime
South African authorities have urged people to avoid hiking on their own, suggesting it be done in groups of at least four people.
SANParks said suggestions that there are ‘growing concerns of crime’ at Table Mountain are ‘speculative and may cause unnecessary alarm which undermines worthy and successful efforts,’ in a social media post on Monday.
The management of SANParks, which manages Table Mountain and other national parks, said an investigation into Cheuvront’s death is ongoing.
