UNC Morehead-Cain scholar found dead on hiking trail in South Africa while studying abroad

JOHANNESBURG -- A UNC Morehead-Cain scholar who went missing while on a hike in South Africa has been found dead.

"We are devastated. God help me and us," her father said in a post on social media.

Brook Cheuvront, class of 2026, went missing while on a hike on Table Mountain in Cape Town. She was first reported missing Saturday after the tracking app she was using stopped updating and her friends could not reach her.

South African National Parks (SANParks) sent ground crews Saturday to search for Cheuvront, but they were unsuccessful. More ground crews tried and failed Sunday morning. A helicopter deployed to help in the search was finally able to find Cheuvrant's body on the slopes of the mountain in an area known as Devil's Peak.

According to our newsgathering partners at the News & Observer, that area can become treacherous during windy or rainy conditions. Saturday's weather indicates potentially windy conditions during Cheuvront's hike.

"The circumstances around the hiker's death are still being investigated and further details about this incident will be provided as and when necessary," SANParks said in a statement. "SANParks extends its sincere condolences to the family of the deceased during this difficult time."

Monday morning, SANParks issued a statement pushing back on allegations that crime is increasing on Table Mountain National Park. The organization said "official crime statistics have drastically decreased from 16 and 32 respectively in October and November 2023 to 6 in July 2024 and 3 in August 2024."

The circumstances surrounding Cheuvront's death remain under investigation. An autopsy has been scheduled to determine her cause of death.

Avery County High School, where Cheuvront graduated in 2022, had counselors and pastors at the school Monday for students to talk to. The school also canceled sporting events Monday out of respect for the Cheuvront family -- specifically Brook's mother April who is a science teacher at the high school.

The school also encouraged students and staff to wear blue as a show of support for the family.

Who was Brook Cheuvront?

Cheuvront was in South Africa as part of an internship associated with her Morehead-Cain Scholarship through Justice Desk Africa.

Over the last several weeks, she had posted to social media about how "nervous and super excited" she was for her extended trip to South Africa.

She had been in the country for more than a month before her death Saturday. She documented going on multiple hikes and safaris, enjoying the local cuisine, going to a rugby match, and starting her job and classes.

Her unpaid job during the internship was to work with Justice Desk Africa in the Ntsika ye Themba program. She said that program "aims to educate young boys on gender based violence and toxic masculinity with the goal of empowering them to be activists and role models in their communities."

Her classes during her internship were focused on Urbanization of South Africa and South African Conservation. She described both as being "super exciting."

Cheuvront worked at the Morehead Planetarium under the direction of Todd Boyette.

"It was very easy for me to say if you come to Carolina you can work at Morehead," said Todd Boyette, director of Morehead Planetarium and Science Center on the campus of UNC Chapel Hill. "Usually when scholars land on campus they are busy. I end up not seeing them a lot, but in Brook's case she was here often. it was good to see her. She never met a stranger."

Boyette remembers the first time he met Cheuvront. The university had awarded her the prestigious Morehead-Cain Scholarship and because she was planning to minor in astronomy, he thought she'd be a great fit for the planetarium. She led shows at the planetarium theatre.

On Monday, sadness was felt across the UNC Chapel Hill community, but especially inside the Morehead Planetarium where students and staffers that knew her are grieving. Boyette was looking forward to hearing Cheuvront's stories of South Africa once she returned.

"The work she was doing in South Africa was working with young boys and men on how they approach masculinity and relationships with others," he said.

According to Boyette, Morehead Planetarium plans to honor Cheuvront's memory. The details on that haven't been released just yet.

Cheuvront was the Avery County High School Class of 2022 valedictorian. She also captained a Science Olympiad team and graduated from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics online program.

She accepted the merit-based Morehead-Cain Scholarship to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she was interested in studying astrophysics, environmental justice and creative writing.