Body of missing hiker Caroline Meister found at waterfall base in California: Police

The body of experienced hiker Caroline Meister was found at the base of a waterfall by search and rescue teams, according to Monterey County Sheriff's Office.

The search for the 30-year-old ended on Friday March 22 when her body was discovered in the Ventana Wilderness, located in Los Padres National Forest in California.

A search crew spotted her at around 10:45 p.m. local time. The sheriff says there were no signs of foul play.

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How was Caroline Meister's body found?

According to the Monterey County Sheriff's Office, the search and rescue team found the woman's body four days after she went missing by conducting high-angle searches near a “Cut Off” trail where a waterfall drops off of the trail.

"Search and rescue personnel rappelled down the steep drop-off and located Caroline Meister’s body at the base of the waterfall," states the post.

When did Caroline Meister go missing?

According to a post on the sheriff office's Facebook page, Meister left the Tassajara Mountain Zen Center in the Ventana Wilderness at 10:00 a.m. for a hike that should've only lasted a day.

She left the center with enough food for the day and what she was wearing. According to the post, she was not prepared for an overnight hike.

"When she failed to return that evening, staff and friends at the Zen Center began to search for her and then contacted the Sheriff’s Office," states the post. "Search efforts continued for four days until her discovery [yesterday]."

Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. She has covered various topics, from local businesses and government in her hometown, Miami, to tech and pop culture. You can follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz.