A former River Forest woman was found dead near a hiking trail in central California on Friday, four days after she was reported missing.
A Monterey County search and rescue team found the body of Caroline Meister, 30, at the base of a steep waterfall after she left a Zen center in Carmel Valley on Monday morning for a hike, according to the Monterey County sheriff’s office.
She was reported missing Monday night when her friends and staff at the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center noticed she hadn’t returned, the sheriff’s office said.
Meister had lived in California for about two years, and her parents described her as a “very experienced and avid hiker who was very familiar with the area,” Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto said during a news conference Friday.
Meister told the Zen center staff she was going to hike a nearby trail that loops back to the center. A search and rescue team rapelled down the waterfall, which is considered a “critical incident” area of the trail, the sheriff’s office said.
No foul play was suspected, Nieto said. An autopsy was pending.
“Our trails are very steep in our area, they can be dangerous in some areas, and even experienced hikers could have slip and falls,” Nieto said.