A 27-year-old woman, Meghan Rouns, has mysteriously disappeared while riding her horse near Helena, Montana. Search teams have been unable to locate her, finding only her horse, phone, and hat. Meghan went missing on Friday while travelling along the McMaster Hills trail, approximately 15 miles from Downtown Helena.
Officials from the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office suspect that Meghan may have been blown off her horse and into a river by a sudden gust of wind. Despite her planned return time being 6 pm on the day she went missing, Meghan never made it back. Her father reported her absence two hours later, prompting a search effort that began at 9 pm and extended until 4 am the next day.
Meghan is known for her horse riding activities along the trail and is part of a riding group. On the day of her disappearance, she drove to the trailhead with her horse trailer, parked her car, and began her ride, as she had done numerous times before. The next day, a civilian discovered Meghan’s horse near the Missouri River, showing signs of having been in the water. A GPS tracker found on the horse confirmed this suspicion, despite the animal’s aversion to water, according to Sheriff Leo C. Dutton.
Furthermore, Meghan’s phone and hat were found upstream from where the horse was located. Search efforts have now shifted towards Houser Lake, a 3,200-acre reservoir connected to the river and trail. Hikers are combing the area for any clues, while helicopters, drones, and cadaver dogs are being employed in the search operation. Authorities have not found any evidence of foul play.
Sheriff Dutton speculates that strong winds on the day Meghan went missing could have caused her to fall into the river while riding alongside it. Notably, Meghan did not know how to swim. Divers are scheduled to continue searching the area using site scanning sonar, with volunteers planning to search the surrounding terrain. Dutton emphasised the importance of following the most likely scenarios first, but keeping all possibilities open if needed.
The community remains hopeful for Meghan’s safe return, as the search efforts continue and volunteers join forces to bring her home.