A 20-year-old American woman, who was taking full advantage of an internship in South Africa, was found dead on Sunday after embarking on a solo hike in a mountainous area on Saturday.
“Please delete all posts looking for Brooke. She has been found. We are devastated,” Brooke Chevront’s father, Steve Chevront, posted Sunday, announcing the sad outcome on Facebook, ABC11 reported.
On Saturday, her relatives reported the young North Carolina student, who had been in Cape Town, South Africa, for several months to train, missing after she set out on a solo mountain hike, in an area known as Devil's Peak.
She's already been in South Africa for a month, documenting many of her nature adventures, including hiking and safaris, on Instagram.
As she was leaving alone, the young woman used a geolocation application that allowed her friends to follow her route, according to American media.
When she saw that there were no updates on her tracking app and that the student was no longer answering her phone, her friends called authorities on Saturday, according to ABC11.
On the same day, a search and rescue operation was launched in the wilderness, but no trace of the young woman was found.
His body was finally found on the mountainside the next day.
“The circumstances of the park’s death are still under investigation,” South African National Parks (SANParks) said in a press release.
While many internet users have pointed fingers at the crime in the area and urged the family to push for a full investigation, South African authorities have denied the problem exists and urged visitors to avoid walking alone, according to the BBC.
For its part, her family expressed their deep sorrow on Sunday for the “unthinkable” and “accidental” loss of the young woman, and called her “a great loss.”
She brightened our lives and left a lasting impression on everyone who had the honor of knowing her. She brought joy, laughter, kindness and helpfulness to our lives and the lives of everyone she met.
