Hiker From River Forest Found Dead In CA: Police

MONTEREY COUNTY, CA — A woman from the west suburbs of Chicago was found dead after going for a hike in a remote area of Monterey County, California, according to reports.

Caroline Meister’s body was discovered at the base of a waterfall, authorities announced Friday, four days after the 30-year-old left the Zen Center at Tassajara in the Ventana Wilderness of Los Padres National Forest for a hike.

Meister had been living at the Tassajara center, the San Francisco Zen Center confirmed, and when she failed to return, staff and friends searched for her and contacted the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, authorities said. She was an experienced hiker who knew the area, Sheriff Tina Nieto said during a press conference on Facebook.

Search and rescue personnel rappelled down a steep drop to access Meister’s remains, according to the sheriff’s office, which said there were no signs of foul play.

Meister was from River Forest but had been on the West Coast for over a year, according to WLS.

“We are all deeply saddened and in shock,” the San Francisco Zen Center, which includes the Tassajara location, said in a blog post. “Our hearts are broken.”