A desperate search is underway for a 27-year-old woman who disappeared during an afternoon ride in Montana.
Meghan Rouns went out horseback riding in Helena on Friday, but was reported missing by her family when she failed to return home six hours later.
A frantic investigation turned up the horse and a phone with a tracker in a saddle bag on Saturday, but the married rider’s whereabouts are still unknown.
Investigators are now scouring the Hauser Lake area of the McMaster Hills, where the horse was found, believing Meghan may have been thrown off during strong winds.
‘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 told The US Sun.
Meghan Rouns was last seen by her family leaving their home in Helena, MT on Friday
Investigators believe she may have fallen off her horse during strong winds
The Sheriff said on Facebook yesterday that he was with her husband and relatives, and said that the search was focusing on a section of the Missouri River.
Malmstrom Air Force Base deployed a helicopter on Sunday to join the hunt, as dog teams were brought in.
Volunteers were asked to check in at the command post at the Eastside McMasters Trailhead, per KXLH.
Ground and water units have since been deployed to scour above and below the surface for any trace of Meghan.
Dutton told the US Sun that Meghan may have fallen into the water as strong winds buffeted the area.
He said that investigators had ruled out foul play.
Meghan was last seen by her family leaving her home around 2pm on Friday, October 4.
Authorities say she has not been heard from since then.
Around 4:20pm a photo was posted to her Snapchat account, according to Lewis & Clark Sheriff deputies.
She was reported missing around 8pm after failing to return home, leaving police a window of three hours and forty minutes in which she could have disappeared.
Her father said she had been riding in the Eagle Bay area east of Helena, west of the Missouri River.
He said she was seen wearing jeans, a black shirt, possibly a grey hoodie and a ball cap, and only told family she was going riding in the area.
Search teams, with the National Guard, joined forces on Sunday to scour the hills and found Meghan’s horse up the hill from Hauser Lake.
Units from Lewis and Clark County and Jefferson County began searches on Saturday, using drones from various law enforcement agencies.
Searches continue for missing Meghan Rouns after she disappeared on Friday
Teams are searching the ground and water near where her horse was found
Soon after, deputies found Meghan’s cell phone and a tracker inside a saddle bag.
The Sheriff wrote on Facebook on Monday: ‘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.’
‘The search continues and we work to rule out areas of high probability,’ he added.
‘Thank you to the citizens who have given their time on foot, horses and other volunteer services.’
If you have information or would like to offer assistance, please call 406-219-7380.
