A North Carolina student, aged 20, studying in South Africa, tragically lost her life during a hike on Table Mountain in Cape Town. The young woman, Brook Cheuvront, was reported missing on Saturday after she stopped communicating with her friends and her location could not be determined via a tracking app, as stated by a representative from SANPark, the entity in charge of the mountain’s management.
Cheuvront’s sudden disappearance triggered a search operation that involved Morehead-Cain Rangers and trail runners. The search continued into the late hours of Saturday but was eventually suspended due to practicality concerns. The following day, an aircraft was dispatched to assist in the search, which ultimately led to the heartbreaking discovery of Cheuvront’s body.
Steve Cheuvront, Brook’s father, confirmed the devastating news. He had planned to travel from North Carolina to participate in the search for his daughter. The family is reportedly shattered by the loss, with Steve expressing his sorrow and seeking spiritual strength to deal with the tragedy.
The circumstances leading to Cheuvront’s death are still uncertain, leading authorities to initiate an investigation. Cheuvront was a sophomore at the University of North Carolina and was in South Africa for an internship at the University of Cape Town. The young woman, a native of Newland, North Carolina, was also the 2022 valedictorian at Avery County High School, where she was a track runner.
In the wake of suggestions of escalating crime rates at Table Mountain, SANParks issued a statement on social media. The organization dismissed these allegations as conjecture, stating that they could provoke unnecessary panic and undermine successful efforts to ensure safety in the area.