Doctor Falls to Her Death While Hiking Near Waterfall

Wisconsin 30-year-old apparently stepped off the path
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 8, 2022 1:00 AM CDT
She Stepped Off the Trail to Get a Better View, Fell to Her Death
Stock photo of Potato River Falls.   (Getty Images / Big Joe)

A 30-year-old Wisconsin doctor was hiking in the northern part of the state when the ground crumbled beneath her, causing her to fall to her death. Kelsey Musgrove, a cardiothoracic surgery fellow at the University of Wisconsin, last contacted loved ones March 26 to let them know she'd reached Potato River Falls. After she was reported missing March 30, authorities found her car in the falls' parking area, People reports. Her body was found April 3. She apparently left the trail and observation area in an effort to get closer to the river when the accident took place, CBS News reports.

"While walking along the edge of the embankment, it appears that the ground beneath her collapsed, bringing her down the bank along with clay and rocks," the Iron County sheriff says, and she was found partially buried in a steep clay bank near the waterfall. Per an autopsy, the traumatic injuries she suffered likely killed her within minutes.

"Clay banks are always unstable and can be undermined in areas not visible from above," the sheriff says. "When hiking, please stay on marked trail and observation areas. If you choose to hike alone, always make sure someone knows your route of travel and when you plan to return." Says UW in a statement, "She was held in the highest esteem by her colleagues for her incisive intelligence and surgical excellence. Close friends and passing colleagues alike regarded her as a rising star with unbridled potential." (More Wisconsin stories.)

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