Table Mountain National Park: Missing student, 20, found dead on hiking trail after tracking app stopped working

Brook Cheuvront, 20, from Newland, North Carolina, was reported missing on Saturday (21 September) after setting off at midday to trek up the mountain. Her friends became worried when a tracking app she had used to update them suddenly stopped working, said SANParks, authorities for Table Mountain National Park.

After two extensive searches involving SANParks rangers, Wilderness Search and Rescue, and trail runners, Cheuvront’s body was eventually found by Cape Town aircraft “on the slopes of the mountain.” Authorities said her cause of death remains unclear as it’s still being investigated. The 20-year-old had only been in South Africa for one month.

Cheuvront’s family shared on Facebook: “Please take down all posts looking for Brook. She was recovered. We are devastated. God help me and us”.

Brook’s father, Steve Cheuvront, posted on Facebook that his daughter “illuminated our lives and left a lasting impact on all who had the privilege of knowing her”. He added: “In honour of Brook, we encourage everyone to cherish the moments with their loved ones and to continue spreading kindness in Brook’s memory”.

The 20-year-old, who earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of North Carolina, had only been in South Africa since August, when she started an internship for a not-for-profit organization called Justice Desk Africa. In her LinkedIn profile, she wrote that the program focused on: “Empowering young South African boys from communities suffering from gang violence in the ¡Ntsika y Themba program to challenge gender-based violence and toxic masculinity.”

South African authorities offered their condolences to the family and thanked staff and stakeholders who played a part in the operation to locate her. In a Facebook post, SANParks advised that visitors only do activities “in groups.. four or more,” inform others when heading off, and save the emergency numbers for Table Mountain National Park.