A tragic incident occurred in South Africa when 20-year-old Brook Cheuvront, a student from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was found dead after going missing during a solo hike on Table Mountain in Cape Town. Cheuvront, who was studying abroad and interning at the University of Cape Town, disappeared on Saturday, September 21, 2023. She had been hiking alone on the iconic mountain when the tracking app she used stopped updating, raising concerns among her friends.
Authorities launched a search for Cheuvront, and her body was discovered the following day on Devil’s Peak, a trail connected to Table Mountain. Her body was retrieved by an EMS helicopter, and an autopsy is set to determine the cause of death. Western Cape police spokesperson, Lieutenant-Colonel Malcolm Pojie, confirmed the details of the recovery.
Cheuvront was an accomplished student, holding the distinction of being a Morehead-Cain scholar and the valedictorian of Avery County High School in 2022. Her father, Steve Cheuvront, expressed the family’s devastation on Facebook, asking for any posts regarding her disappearance to be taken down after she was found.
The incident has drawn attention to the dangers of solo hiking in South Africa, particularly on trails like Table Mountain. South African authorities have urged individuals to avoid hiking alone and to go in groups for safety reasons. Cheuvront’s death has sparked an outpouring of grief and support from friends, family, and her community in North Carolina, where her mother’s colleagues and students at Avery County High School wore blue in her honor.
SANParks, which manages Table Mountain and other national parks, has expressed condolences to Cheuvront’s family, emphasizing the importance of safety on hiking trails. An investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death is ongoing.
