A woman who went missing while hiking in Northern California has been found dead at the base of a waterfall.
The body of Caroline Meister, 30, was discovered Friday by a search and rescue team, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. Signs of foul play are not suspected.
Meister was found during an extensive search operation after she was reported missing on March 18 when she did not return from a trip.
Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto said that “search and rescue personnel were conducting a high-angle search [Tassajara] A ‘cut off’ trail where the waterfall falls off the trail,” when they found it.
“Search and rescue personnel descended the steep slope and found Caroline Meister’s body at the base of the falls,” he added of the 150-foot drop.
Caroline Meister disappeared while hiking in California.
Monterey County Sheriff’s Office
Missing California hiker was carrying ‘just snacks for the day’ when she left Mountain Center
Nieto added at a news conference Friday that the death was being ruled “accidental” and that Meister’s injuries were “consistent with falling off a cliff.”
Deputy Carlos Pina also explained that the search and rescue team was able to determine Meister’s probable location after local residents reported that she had “commented on a horse pasture trail” before starting her hike.
The coroner must now determine the official cause of death.
On March 18, Meister started the hike around 10 a.m. from Tassajara Zen Mountain Center in Carmel Valley.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2)/caroline-meister-032524-2-0addb72adc7f4437b55fb06a84d75458.jpg)
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that Caroline Meister’s body has been located.
Monterey County Sheriff’s Office
Body of missing hiker, 61, found at bottom of Oregon cliff after he didn’t return from solo trip
She reportedly shared her plans to take the trail back to the Zen Center and hike the “Wind Cave Trail,” authorities said on Facebook, adding, “She was only carrying snacks for the day and was not dressed or equipped for an overnight stay.”
Meister worked at the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center in the Ventura Wilderness along California’s Central Coast where she lived, CBS News reported.
She went on her hike last week wearing blue boots and a blue bag.
“She is very familiar with the area and is also an avid hiker,” her father told local news station KSBW before she was found last week.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The director of the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, Heather Ianrusso, told CBS News, “Many of us have lived here for a while, and we’re familiar with these trials. She wasn’t there doing anything risky.”
Speaking of Meister, she added: “She’s just a wonderful human being and we all – we miss her so much already. She was an incredibly sweet, bright spirit – very gentle and kind and helpful.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education