Meghan Rouns, Montana horseback rider goes missing northeast of Helena as authorities find rider’s phone and horse but no sign of her as authorities now search bodies of water, fearing she may have fallen into river.
##Update: A Montana horseback rider who vanished during a ride along a recreational trail was found dead in a lake Tuesday afternoon, the sheriff’s office said. The body of Meghan Rouns was pulled from 11-feet deep water in Upper Hauser Lake investigators said.
“It is with great sadness we report that Meghan was located by our search and rescue divers around 3:40 pm this afternoon. She is deceased,” said Sheriff Leo Dutton.
Original story: The search for a horseback rider who went missing on Friday has left Montana authorities stymied, with only the 27 year old rider’s phone and horse being recovered, amid fears that the female rider may now be in trouble or worse.
Meghan Rita Rouns hasn’t been heard from since she went for an afternoon ride in a recreational area of McMaster Hills area, northeast of Helena, on the west side of the Missouri River.
As authorities, first responders and volunteers scoured the area, they discovered Rouns’ phone in a saddle bag and her horse on Saturday, the Lewis and Clark County’s Sheriff’s Office announced. But no sign of the actual missing rider.
Did horseback rider fall into waters?
As a result of the animal being found on a hill near Hauser Lake, rescuers focused their search close to the body of water and surrounding area, sheriff’s operation Lt. Willy Wegner told KTVH.
While Rouns’ parents did not hear from her after 2 p.m., she took a photo on social media app SnapChat around 4:20 p.m., Sheriff Leo Dutton said, according to KXLH.
Just a few hours later, circa 8pm, Friday night, Rouns’ parents reported their daughter missing.
Rouns was last known to be wearing blue jeans, a black shirt, possibly a grey hoodie and a ball cap.
Officials fear that Rouns might have fallen into the water because of gusty winds in the area. Foul play has been ruled out, Dutton said.
‘We believe something happened that spooked the horse to get it into the waters,’ Dutton told the U.S Sun. ‘We just don’t know what yet.’
‘As we search areas, the more we search it, the lower probability the area becomes, so then we will move to another area.’
Search concentrates on waters
Authorities in the interim continued to focus their search in a section of the Missouri River with the assistance of Rouns’ husband and family.
A robotic-operated vehicle and divers were seen combing the waters, according to KTVH-TV.
‘Please stay clear of the search area, this includes the water search area. If people try to get there, they will endanger our SCUBA divers,’ Dutton posted on Facebook. ‘Please do not interfere with the search.’
As the search moves along, officials have been able to rule out areas where the woman might be.
‘Thank you to the citizens who have given their time on foot, horses and other volunteer services,’ Dutton wrote.
Drones from various law enforcement agencies continue to search from the air for the missing horseback rider.