Brook Cheuvront, a 20-year-old University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill student and valedictorian of Avery High School’s Class of 2022, tragically lost her life during a solo hike in South Africa on September 21. Cheuvront was hiking at Table Mountain National Park in Cape Town when she was reported missing after failing to return by her expected time. She had set out around noon to hike Devil’s Peak and was due back by 6:30 p.m.
Search efforts began after her tracking app stopped working and she couldn’t be reached
Her father shared on social media that the search, which included helicopters, resumed the next morning after the U.S. ambassador was informed of the situation.
Cheuvront’s body was recovered by helicopter near Devil’s Peak around 2 p.m. on September 22. While the incident is still under investigation, authorities do not suspect foul play.
Cheuvront, the recipient of the prestigious Morehead-Cain Scholarship, was in South Africa for an internship. Upon hearing the news of her passing, the local community quickly rallied in support, gathering at Avery High School to pray for her family on Sunday afternoon.
