By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
An American woman who went missing while on a hike on Table Mountain in Cape Town, has died and her body has been recovered, authorities confirmed on Monday.
Brook Cecilia Cheuvront, 20, went hiking on Saturday at Devils Peak at Table Mountain National Park near Cape Town before her body was found on Sunday.
SANParks, which manages Table Mountain and other national parks, said the cause of death was still unclear and an inquest into her death has been opened.
SANParks said the Cheuvront 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.
An initial search was conducted by rangers, wilderness search and rescue members, and trail runners until late Saturday evening when it was no longer practical to continue. An aircraft joined the search the next day and helped to locate the body.
SANParks have urged people to avoid hiking on their own, suggesting it be done in groups of at least four people and reminded visitors to take note of the following safety tips:
• Do activities in groups
• Choose your route carefully and stick to it
• Allow yourself enough time – start early