A 30-year-old woman has been missing for four days after going on a day hike in the Ventana Wilderness, a remote and steep area along California’s Central Coast, authorities said Friday.
Caroline Meister was last seen Monday morning after going on “what was believed to be a day hike,” the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
She left the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, a monastery and retreat center located in the heart of the Ventana Wilderness, around 10 a.m. local time She was reportedly carrying only a few snacks for the day and had no equipment or clothing for an overnight hike, officials said.
But Meister — an experienced hiker who has been living and working at the center for the last year and a half — hasn’t been seen since then.
On Friday, the sheriff’s office said its search-and-rescue team, as well as 60 additional officials from near-by counties, are continuing with their efforts to find the hiker. K9 units, heat-sensing aircraft, and a California Highway Patrol Helicopter are also assisting in the search.
Rain is expected in the area for the next few days, but that should not interfere with the operation.
“Search-and-rescue team members are trained to be able to continue searching under these conditions,” officials said.
Meister’s family remains hopeful she will be found safe.
“She’s very familiar with the area,” her father, John Meister, told local TV station KSBW on Wednesday. “She’s also an avid hiker.”
Her mother echoed that sentiment.
“She is very strong and resilient and we have great faith she’s doing whatever she can to stay safe,” Jean Meisler said.
Their daughter is described as a white woman with long, brown, wavy hair, officials said. She’s 5-feet, 6-inches tall, weighs 150 pounds, and was last seen wearing teal-colored boots and carrying a blue bag.
Authorities are urging anyone who was in the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center Area on Monday and who may have seen Caroline Meister, to call the sheriff’s office at 831-755-5111.
