Authorities have discovered the body of a lady who inexplicably disappeared while horseback riding in Montana last week.
Meghan Rouns, 27, went missing after riding her horse over the McMaster Hills route, about 15 miles from Helena, on Friday afternoon.
Search teams discovered the woman’s hat, phone, and horse, which appeared to have been in the Missouri River, but could not uncover her body. The horse disliked being in the water, and Rouns could not swim.
Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo C Dutton told The Independent that he suspected a strong gust of wind pushed the woman from her horse as she trotted along the river, sending her into the water.
Divers plucked the woman’s body from the river on Tuesday.
“It is with great sadness that we report that Meghan was located by our search and rescue divers around 3:40 p.m.,” the sheriff’s office stated. “She is deceased.”
Rouns’s body was discovered in 11 feet of water, approximately 100 feet from shore. Officials will transport her remains to a crime lab in Missoula to ascertain her cause and manner of death. Dutton stated that no foul play is suspected at this moment.
Rouns had no medical conditions that would have caused an emergency, and deputies do not believe she committed suicide.
“To Meghan’s family, we extend our heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathy,” the statement said.
Rouns, an accomplished equestrian, was scheduled to return from her ride around 6 p.m. Friday. When she did not appear, her father reported her missing two hours later. The search began at 9 p.m. the same day and continued until 4 a.m. Saturday. When officials located her horse, they uncovered a GPS tracker that confirmed it had been in the river.
As a result, search teams concentrated much of their efforts on scouring through the water to locate the 27-year-old.
Hikers scoured the region for clues, while helicopters, drones, and cadaver dogs were dispatched to locate her.
“It’s extraordinary that happened to her that caused us to be in this search for her,” Dutton told the BBC.
