Search team finds body of missing hiker near base of Calif. waterfall

March 23 (UPI) -- Authorities in California said Saturday the body of a missing hiker has been found near the base of a waterfall in the state's Big Sur region.

The Monterey County Sheriff's Office in a statement said search and rescue personnel found the body of missing hiker Caroline Meister within the Ventana Wilderness area of the Los Padres National Forest.

Sheriff Tina Nieto told reporters Meister's injuries indicated she had fallen from the cliff. There was no evidence of foul play.

The sheriff's office received a report on March 18 that Meister went missing after she left the Tassajara Zen Center that morning for what was supposed to be a day-long hike.

Meister reportedly mentioned hiking the Windcave Trail and left with snacks for the day and the clothes she was wearing. She was not prepared for an overnight hike.

Staff and friends at the Zen Center began a search for her when she did not return that evening. They then contacted the sheriff's office.

More than 100 people from 13 different agencies joined the four-day search for Meister. Her family flew out to California from Chicago to join the search on Wednesday.

The search team found her Friday morning, after investigating a waterfall area along the trail and rappelling down to the base of the waterfall, Nieto said. The team confirmed her death at the scene.

Meister lived and worked at the Zen Center. Her family said she was an avid hiker and was familiar with the area, having lived there for two years.