US hiker’s family struggles with ‘tragic’ and ‘accidental’ passing

Brook Cheuvront

Cape Town — The family of Brook Cheuvront, the American exchange student who lost her life while hiking on Devil’s Peak, expressed their sadness at the family’s tragic loss.

Brook (20) was reported missing on Saturday 21 September after she had gone on a hike on Devil’s Peak. She was later reported missing and after an extensive search, she was reported dead after her body was found on Sunday afternoon.

Brook’s father, Steve, sent a desperate call out for a search party and was left devastated once he received the news of his daughter’s passing.

“Please take down all posts looking for Brook. She was recovered. We are devastated. God help me and us,” Steve wrote on Facebook after her death.

Steve has been posting photo tributes to his daughter, sharing fond memories of her when they were last together. He wrote a long tribute to his daughter and requested privacy for the family.

“It is with deep sorrow that we announce the tragic, unexpected and accidental loss of our beloved daughter, Brook Cecilia. She illuminated our lives and left a lasting impact on all who had the privilege of knowing her,” he said.

“As we navigate this unimaginable loss, we ask for privacy during this difficult time. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support from our friends, family, and community,” he added.
The family will continue to cherish the moments shared with Brook and said she had a strong passion for learning. The family said it wanted to establish a scholarship in Brook’s memory.
“The Cheuvront Family wishes to have a scholarship fund for Avery High School honouring Brook,” he concluded.

According to IOL, Brook studied at the University of North Carolina (UNC). She was studying at UCT when she joined an internship associated with the Morehead-Cain Scholarship through Justice Desk Africa Ntsika ye Themba programme, which focuses on educating young boys on gender-based violence (GBV).

Brook had only been in South Africa for just over a month before the tragedy had happened.

Police spokesperson, Wesley Twigg, yesterday said he could not comment further on the post-mortem, but said an inquest docket would be pursued.

Mayco member for safety and security, JP Smith, said Brook’s death showed how important drone intelligence was to track missing hikers,

“The Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) was able to pinpoint a location of interest, and drones were deployed to attempt to get a closer view, but unfortunately, it was too far away and wind conditions were not ideal for drone flights,” he said.

“The United States considers the safety and well-being of its citizens abroad to be our top priority, and our mission in South Africa has worked closely with local authorities as well as the victim’s family and others to assist in this case,” it said.

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Compiled by Matthew Petersen

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