Nurse found dead two weeks after vanishing on California hike

The remains of a missing woman have been located by authorities in California.

Ann Herford, 66, was reported missing on 15 November after she failed to return from a hike on the Arnold Rim Trail in the central Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Herford, a travelling nurse from Michigan, had been expected to work a shift at Adventist Health in the city of Sonara – but she didn’t show up.

Following dozens of searches by air and ground in the dense forest by several law enforcement departments, Herford’s remains were found on a 35-degree sloped hillside beneath dense foliage, the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office said on Thursday.

The discovery was made near the area where her vehicle had been left parked on 12 November, the department said.

California Highway Patrol aircraft helped extricate the remains from the terrain.

An investigation into Herford’s death is underway, but the sheriff’s department said it does not appear to be suspicious.

Family members reportedly told law enforcement that Herford liked to go out on short hikes, but did not have the skills to survive in the wilderness, according to The Detroit News.