A Chicago-area native was found dead Friday near a waterfall in California following a four-day search, according to the Monterey County sheriff’s office.
Caroline Meister, a 30-year-old originally from west suburban River Forest, was reported missing Monday night after not returning from what was supposed to be a day-long hike in California’s Ventana Wilderness.
She left the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center — a zen training center where she was a resident — around 10 a.m. with only food for the day and the clothes she was wearing, the sheriff’s office said at a Friday news conference.
A search-and-rescue team found Meister’s body Friday morning at the base of a waterfall near a hiking trail. Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto said there were no signs of foul play, and that Meister’s injuries were consistent with falling down a cliff. An autopsy will be performed, she added.
Nieto said Meister had lived in the area for two years and was “very familiar” with the trails. She said Meister’s parents, John and Jean Meister, described her as a “very experienced and avid hiker.” Nieto added that more than 100 people helped search for Meister in the remote terrain.
“Our trails are very steep in our area,” Nieto said. “They can be dangerous in some areas, and even experienced hikers could have slips and falls.”
The Tassajara Zen Mountain Center said in a statement that they are “deeply saddened and in shock.”
