SEARCH efforts for a missing horseback rider focused on a body of water where investigators believe that woman may have fallen.
Meghan Rouns, 27, was last seen leaving her home in Helena, Montana, on Friday afternoon to go horseriding at the McMaster Hills Recreation Area.
The avid horserider uploaded a photo on her Snapchat account at around 4:20 pm, over two hours after she was last spotted, according to the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office.
But, by Friday evening, Rouns had not returned home, and her father reported her missing to deputies.
Rouns’ truck was found parked at a trailhead in the McMaster Hills.
We believe something happened that spooked the horse to get it into the waters. We just don’t know what yet.
Lewis and County Sheriff Leo Dutton.
As the search for Rouns reaches day four, deputies have focused on a body of water near where the woman’s horse and cell phone were found on Sunday.
Lewis and County Sheriff Leo Dutton said his team has deployed scuba divers to comb through a section of the Missouri River.
“I am with Megan’s husband and family now. We are concentrating our search on a section of the Missouri River,” Dutton announced on Monday.
Dutton told The U.S. Sun on Monday that they believe Rouns was thrown in the water after something startled her horse.
“We believe something happened that spooked the horse to get it into the waters. We just don’t know what yet,” the sheriff said.
Dutton believes gusty winds could have been a factor and ruled out foul play.
Rouns’ cell phone and a tracker were found in a saddle bag in the area where her horse was located.
Sheriff Dutton said his team was able to piece together Rouns’ activity through McMaster Hills using the tracker.
LARGE SCALE SEARCH
Since Saturday, several police agencies have been assisting the Lewis and County Sheriff’s Office in its search for Rouns.
Helena police and the Malmstrom Air Force Base have deployed drones and helicopters while dozens of volunteers scoured the recreational area’s grounds on foot and horses.
On Sunday, a robotic-operated vehicle and divers were seen combing the waters where Rouns’ horse was found, according to NBC affiliate KTVH-TV.
Search crews brought in specialized dogs on Monday that could detect Rouns’ scent, ABC affiliate KRTV reported.
Lewis & Clark Sheriff deputies are urging volunteers not to interfere with their search of the waters.
Instead, deputies asked locals to focus on dense brush areas away from the shoreline.
PASSIONATE TRAIL RIDER
Family members described Rouns as a passionate trail rider who holds a strong bond with her horse, according to KRTV.
“Thinking about that of if this was your family member, if this was your spouse, your daughter, sister, whatever,” volunteer Gabrielle Murphy told the outlet.
“I think that is the importance of volunteering. If we do not have community, we do not have anything.”
Rouns was last seen wearing blue jeans, a black shirt, and possibly a gray hoodie and baseball cap.
Meghan Rouns disappearance timeline
Meghan Rouns, 27, was last seen on October 4, leaving her house in Helena, Montana, en route to the McMaster Hills Recreation Area to go horseriding.
Timeline:
- 2 pm, October 4: Rouns’ father said his daughter left their home and headed to the McMaster Hills Recreation Area to go horseback riding.
- 4:20 pm, October 4: Lewis & Clark Sheriff deputies said Rouns shared a photo on her Snapchat account.
- 8 pm, October 4: Rouns’ father reports his daughter missing after she failed to return home.
- October 5: Search teams locate Rouns’ horse up the hill from Hauser Lake at McMaster Hill.
- October 5: Deputies find Rouns’ cell phone inside a saddle bag.
- October 6: A search team prioritized Hauser Lake near where Rouns’ horse was found. A robotic-operated vehicle and divers were seen combing the waters.
- October 7: Lewis and Clark Sheriff Leo Dutton told The U.S. Sun they believe Rouns was thrown into a body of water near where her horse was found. Dutton believes something startled the horse to cause Rouns to fall over.
