david benick is live in the sierra with the story. >> reporter: good evening frank, this is the ending that no one was hoping for. you can see the disappointment on the searcher's faces. the body was found in a spot that rescuers say was almost impossible to find. on skis and snow shoes, 40 searchers headed out at alpine meadows resort early this morning. trying to take advantage of the first clear weather since snow boarders shante willis disappeared on tuesday. >> we had 105-mile-per-hour winds. and no tracks and no clues. >> reporter: in the end, it was a helicopter that spotted willis about 400 feet off a trail. where it looks as if willis crashed into a tree then fell into a hole that had formed around the tree's trunk. >> the opportunity for someone to see her earlier was very slim. >> reporter: willis who was 25 aparticipantly took a wrong turn and skied out of bounds. her family says she was a good skier, and knew what she was doing. >> and she is a beautiful human being, and i want to say that i love her with all of my heart. >> reporter: news of willis' disappearance did not