Human Remains Found In Search For Missing New York Teacher

A beloved professor from the Hudson Valley vanished while hiking out West. Weeks later, authorities made a heartbreaking discovery.

The search for a missing teacher from the Hudson Valley appears to have come to a sad end, thousands of miles away.

Bard College Professor Goes Missing In California

In May, 50-year-old Rebecca Heinowitz, a Bard College professor, went missing while hiking in Northern California.

Nevada City, California, police say she was last seen on the Saturday before Memorial Day, May 24, struggling while swimming in the raging waters of the Yuba River.

For all the news that the Hudson Valley is sharing, make sure to follow Hudson Valley Post on Facebook, and download the Hudson Valley Post Mobile App

"Despite extensive search efforts, the woman was not located," the Nevada County Sheriff's Office stated.

Read More: Florida Crisis Is Now Creating Massive Problems For New York

Heinowitz, of Barrytown, New York, was described by authorities as being a 5'3" 120-pound white woman with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a black two-piece swimsuit.

Human Remains Found Weeks Later

In an update, police say they believe they have found the remains of the missing professor. On Tuesday, a drone discovered human remains along a rocky shore, adjacent to the water’s edge of the Yuba River, police say.

Following a dangerous and tough mission, officers removed the remains.

"Due to the condition of the remains, it will take several weeks before positive identification can be made," police said in an update.

Learn More: Where It’s Cheapest To Live In All Of New York

Heinowitz has taught at Bard College for the past 21 years, according to her Linkedin. She was a professor of literature and contemporary poetry at the college located in Annandale on Hudson.

6 Missing College Student Cold Cases In New York State

These 12 Vulnerable Adults Are Missing From Upstate New York