Brook Cecilia Cheuvront who had been missing for over 12 hours before her body was found on the slopes of Table Mountain in Cape Town - where she had gone hiking - was a vibrant young American student working in and exploring South Africa.
The 20-year-old’s social media pages shows a vibrant life, punctuated with the love for nature and adventure, and it was in the midst of nature that her body was found on Sunday.
She had, it is believed, fell down a rocky cliff and died.
In the hours before her body was found on the slopes of the mountain, a frantic search involving multiple role players in Cape Town in had swung into action.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) had been alerted of the missing American, and her description - long blonde, possible ponytail; blue eyes; green hiking pants; lots of bracelets and blue backpack – had been shared as the search intensified.
Going through her LinkedIn page, Brook described herself as a passionate and dedicated double major in English and Philosophy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with a minor in Astronomy.
“I firmly believe that a multidisciplinary mindset and empathetic approach encourage a deep understanding and humanization of complex social issues. I seek to approach these issues with an open mindset following the understanding gifted to me by my mentor and fellow Appalachian Jeannette Walls; ‘Everyone has a story’.
“My interests include the role of a scientific mindset in human and civil rights litigation, as well as astronomy and scientific education as a tool for advocacy and empowerment. I believe that great passion facilitates great learning and I am an advocate for introducing complex issues on a level that brings all voices to the table,” she summed up.
In August, Brook had expressed enthusiasm when she relocated to Cape Town, joining the Justice Desk as a student intern on the Ntsika ye Themba programme, which aims to educate young boys on gender-based violence, toxic masculinity and the programme also empowering young South African boys from communities suffering from gang violence.
IOL has also browsed through Brook’s Instagram page, with a description: “Brook Cheuvront’ World Travels – sporadically documenting my crazy adventures around the world”.
On August 26, Brook shared that she was in Soweto, Joburg, where she also enjoyed a meal at a local market. She had toured Lesotho before moving to Gauteng.
“We then drove to Johannesburg where we walked through Soweto and met with locals, learning the complicated history around Soweto and having conversations and meals with people in Soweto was very meaningful …” she wrote.
Later that day, she also shared images of animals at the Pilanesberg National Park north-west of Johannesburg.
True to her love for nature, Brook lost her life after she went hiking on Saturday at Devils Peak at Table Mountain National Park near Cape Town, before her body was found on Sunday.
SANParks said she left her accommodation around 12pm to go up the mountain. Her friends did not hear from her since she left, and the tracking app never updated since she left her residence.
South African Parks (SANParks) spokesperson JP Louw said on Saturday, the Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) operations room was notified by Metro Emergency that a missing hiker was reported on Table Mountain.
“An initial search was conducted by SANParks rangers, Wilderness Search and Rescue members, and trail runners until late that evening (on Saturday) when it was no longer practical to continue. Unfortunately, she could not be located at the time. The following morning the search was resumed and conducted on foot,” said Louw.
All agencies were once again dispatched but the search still proved unsuccessful.
“The City of Cape Town’s piloted aircraft was then also deployed to assist with the search resulting in the location of the missing hiker's body on the slopes of the mountain,” said Louw.
SANParks said circumstances around the hiker's death are still being investigated and further details about this incident will be provided as and when necessary.
“SANParks extends its sincere condolences to the family of the deceased during this difficult time. We also express our sincere gratitude to our stakeholders and staff involved in this operation,” said Louw.
IOL