Woman vanishes on hike with only snacks for day, California cops say. Now search is on
UPDATE: A woman reported missing after she never returned from her day hike has been found dead, California deputies say.
Caroline Meister, 30, was found dead at the base of a waterfall on March 22, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
The original story is below.
A 30-year-old woman was reported missing after she never returned from her day hike, California deputies say.
Caroline Meister left the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center in Carmel Valley for a hike at around 10 a.m. Monday, March 18, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
Meister told others she planned to “hike a trail that loops back around to the Zen Center,” deputies said, adding that she also mentioned hiking “Windcave Trail.”
When she didn’t return, deputies said, she was reported missing that evening.
“She was only carrying snacks for the day and was not dressed or equipped for an overnight stay,” deputies said.
Deputies said their search and rescue team, along with a drone team and a California Highway Patrol helicopter, have been scouring the area for Meister.
Meister, who is 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds, has “long brown wavy hair that is likely pulled up,” deputies said. She was wearing teal-colored boots and had a blue bag the last time she was seen.
Any hikers who may have seen Meister hiking the area of Tassajara Zen Mountain Center on March 18 are asked to contact deputies at 831-755-5111.
Hikers planning to trek the area are asked to keep an eye out for her.
Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, a Zen training temple about a 160-mile drive south of San Francisco, is part of the San Francisco Zen Center, which has a mission “to embody, express, and make accessible the wisdom and compassion of the Buddha.”
This story was originally published March 20, 2024 at 11:05 AM with the headline "Woman vanishes on hike with only snacks for day, California cops say. Now search is on."
