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UC Berkeley Student, 23, Missing In El Dorado County National Forest

EL DORADO COUNTY (CBS13) — A search is underway in the El Dorado County National Forest for a missing 23-year-old UC Berkeley student.

The search is centered on the Ice House area of Pollock Pines.

Vernon "Cody" Matthews, 23, was last heard from on Friday when he told his mom over the phone he was going for a hike from his family's cabin near Pollock Pines.

He said he was taking just some water, granola and a knife.

His girlfriend, Somanette Rivas, says she's never known him to go on a hike alone, and he left everything but his phone at the cabin.

"I mean all of his things, his iPad, his computer, I mean a plate of food that he had just prepared with a fork was on the kitchen table," she said

The sheriff's department does not suspect foul play.

"He knows the area. He's an avid hiker and he's a climber but just the fact that he was going out for a day hike he didn't take a lot of gear or anything and they haven't heard from him since it was worrying them," said Lt. Tim Becker.

Matthews is 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, with shoulder-length blond hair.

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