Missing California Hiker Found Dead at Base of Waterfall 5 Days After Going Missing

Caroline Meister, 30, was discovered after an extensive search and rescue operation

A woman who went missing during a hike in Northern California has been found dead at the base of a waterfall.

The body of Caroline Meister, 30, was discovered on Friday by a search and rescue team, Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release. No signs of foul play are suspected.

Meister was found during an extensive search operation after being reported missing on March 18 when she didn’t return from her hike.

Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto said that “search and rescue personnel were performing a high angle search off of the [Tassajara] 'Cut-Off' trail where a waterfall drops off of the trail," when they found her.

"Search and rescue personnel rappelled down the steep drop-off and located Caroline Meister’s body at the base of the waterfall," he added about the 150-foot drop.

Related: Missing California Hiker Was ‘Only Carrying Snacks for the Day’ When She Left Mountain Center

Nieto added in a news conference on Friday that the death was deemed “accidental” and that Meister's injuries were “consistent with falling down a cliff.”

Deputy Carlos Pina also explained that the search and rescue team was able to determine Meister’s probable location after local residents reported that “she had made a comment of the horse pasture trail” prior to heading off on her hike.

The coroner is now set to determine the official cause of death.

On March 18, Meister departed for a hike at around 10 a.m. from Tassajara Zen Mountain Center in Carmel Valley.

Related: Body of Missing Hiker, 61, Found at Bottom of Oregon Cliff After Not Returning from Solo Trip

She had reportedly shared her plans to take a trail that looped back to the Zen Center and hike the “Windcave Trail,” authorities shared on Facebook, adding, “She was only carrying snacks for the day and was not dressed or equipped for an overnight stay.”

Meister worked at the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center in Ventura Wilderness along the Central Coast of California where she also lived, CBS News reported.

She left for her hike last week wearing teal boots and carrying a blue bag.

"She's very familiar with the area, she's also an avid hiker," her father told local news station KSBW prior to her being found last week.

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Director of the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, Heather Ianrusso told CBS News, "Many of us have lived here for a while, and we're familiar with these trials. She was not out there doing anything risky."

Speaking of Meister, she added, "She's just a lovely human being, and we all — we already miss her deeply. She was an amazingly sweet, bright spirit – very gentle and kind and helpful."

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