The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill community is mourning the loss of one of its students, Brook Cecilia Cheuvront, who was found dead after a hiking incident in South Africa. According to a report by QC News, the 20-year-old UNC sophomore and Morehead-Cain Scholar went missing on Saturday during a hike at Devil’s Peak in Western Cape and her body was discovered the following day.
Brook Cheuvront, originally from Newland and a 2022 valedictorian of Avery County High School, where she was also notable as a cross-country runner, was participating in an internship at the University of Cape Town during her study abroad period. Following her disappearance, a search team located Cheuvront, and her body was subsequently flown out by helicopter, it was missing until it was found on Sunday, as detailed in QC News.
Meanwhile, WXII 12 reported that Cheuvront was reported missing around noon South African Standard Time (SAST) on Saturday following her hike at Devils Peak, which is part of Table Mountain National Park near Cape Town. The extensive search concluded on Sunday afternoon with the unfortunate discovery of her body on the mountain.
Local authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding Cheuvront’s untimely death, a police spokesperson commented that an inquest case has been opened and a detailed investigation will follow while Cheuvront's loved ones are left grappling with the heartbreaking loss, her father Steve Cheuvront expressed his anguish on social media following the confirmation of her passing saying "She was recovered, we are devastated. God help me and us," revealing his grief in a statement quoted by WCNC. Back in her hometown, memorial activities have begun with Avery County High School where her mother serves as a teacher has canceled sporting events to honor her memory according to officials at the school.
