Body of American tourist found on Table Mountain in South Africa

An American woman who went missing while hiking on Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa, has died and her body has been found, authorities said Monday.

JOHANNESBURG — An American woman who went missing while hiking on Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa, has died and her body has been found, authorities said Monday.

The woman turned out to be a 20-year-old student from North Carolina, Brook Cheuvront.

Cheuvront was reported missing on Saturday after the tracking app she was using stopped updating and friends were unable to contact her, SANParks spokesman JP Louw said.

SANParks, which manages Table Mountain and other national parks, said the cause of death was still unclear and an investigation had been launched into her death.

The initial search was conducted by rangers, Wild Search and Rescue members and trail runners until late Saturday evening, when it was no longer practical to continue, Louw said. An aircraft joined the search the next day and helped locate the body.

South African authorities urge people to avoid hiking alone. It is best to do so in groups of at least four people.