An experienced hiker’s body was found at the base of a waterfall. She had been lost for days after going missing on a hike in Northern California.
At a news conference on Friday, Monterey County Sheriff Tina M. Nieto revealed that search and rescue teams found Caroline Meister’s body at the base of a waterfall near a trail in the Ventana Wilderness around 10:45 a.m. PST.
Police say they don’t think there was foul play.
The county sheriff’s office said that her injuries were “consistent” with a fall from a height, but the doctor hasn’t said for sure what caused her death yet.
Meister disappeared on a hike from the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center on March 18.
Meister was an experienced hiker, but when she vanished, she only had enough food for the day and was unprepared for an overnight stay.
Search and rescue teams looked all over a large area for the person.
“The Monterey County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team, Drone Team, and a California Highway Patrol Helicopter have been working collaboratively throughout the day to attempt to locate Caroline,” the police said.
People who live at the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center told the police that Meister told them she was going to hike a loop that would end at the Zen Mountain Center. She also talked about hiking the “Windcave Trail.”
Police described the 30-year-old woman as white, 5 feet 6 inches tall, and 150 pounds.
The last time we saw her, she was wearing green boots and a blue bag. Most likely, she had her long brown hair pulled back.
