On Friday (March 22), search and rescue teams found the body of a California hiker who was reported missing on March 18. Authorities said that 30-year-old Caroline Meister, an experienced hiker, never returned while hiking the Windcave Trail near the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center in northern California.
Authorities said the Meister had been living and working at the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center for the past 18 months.
Officials said that Meister was only planning a day-long hike and did not bring supplies for an extended stay in the wilderness. A massive search effort was launched, which included the Monterey County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Team, Drone Team, and a California Highway Patrol Helicopter.
On Friday morning, a rescue crew rappelled down a waterfall near the trail and found Meister's body at the bottom. They said her injuries appeared consistent with falling down the waterfall.
Officials said they are waiting for the results of the autopsy to confirm her cause of death. "We are all deeply saddened and in shock. The sanghas at Tassajara, Green Gulch Farm, and City Center are gathering to support each other in the wake of this distressing news," the San Francisco Zen Center said in a statement.