Journalist, 32, Disappears After Traveling to Brazil

A journalist has disappeared during a trip to Brazil, according to a foreign correspondents’ association.

The Association of Foreign Press Correspondents based in Rio de Janeiro announced on Tuesday, Feb. 18, that 32-year-old Charlotte Peet had not been heard from since Saturday, Feb. 8, according to The Guardian and Reuters.

Peet is believed to have last contacted a friend in São Paulo about plans to travel to Rio de Janeiro, BBC News reported.

The journalist reportedly told the friend she was looking for a place to stay, but the friend “replied that unfortunately she could not host her.”

The association said family members reached out to the same friend days later “saying they had lost contact with the journalist.”

Charlotte’s friend reported her missing on Monday, Feb. 10, The Guardian reported.

Authorities in São Paulo are now investigating her disappearance, according to the reports. They said the 5th Missing Persons Unit “is taking steps to locate the missing person and clarify the facts.”

Derek Peet, Charlotte’s father, told Sky News that Charlotte flew to Brazil without informing her family about the trip. “I wouldn’t say that it was normal,” he added.

Charlotte was later “traced to Gatwick Airport and was found to have boarded a plane to São Paulo and then the trail went cold,” he added.

“I’m very concerned but I just don’t know what’s going on,” Derek told the outlet, “we’re just trying to pick up the pieces really.”

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Charlotte previously worked as a freelancer for Al Jazeera and British news outlets. She spent two years as a freelancer in Rio de Janeiro before returning to London, only to return to Brazil in November, according to Sky News.

Family members have reportedly provided authorities with a photo of Charlotte’s passport in hopes of helping the investigation.

The Association of Foreign Press Correspondents said they have made “an appeal to the relevant authorities to intensify efforts to find the British journalist as soon as possible,” according to The Guardian.

“Her disappearance has sparked growing concern among colleagues and journalists in the region,” the statement added, BBC News reported.

The British embassy also released a statement saying, “We are supporting the family of a British woman who has been reported as missing in Brazil and are in contact with the local authorities.”

The association did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.