Missing Wisconsin Surgeon Died In Fall During Hike: Sheriff

GURNEY, WI — Authorities believe a 30-year-old surgeon who was found dead in northern Wisconsin on April 3 was killed when an embankment collapsed underneath her while she was hiking.

Kelsey Musgrove, who is from Middleton, was found in the Potato River Falls area near Gurney. Her body was partially buried in a steep, clay bank along the river's edge, according to the Iron County Sheriff's Office.

Authorities believe she ventured off the marked trail to get closer to the river, and an unstable clay embankment collapsed under her. An autopsy revealed she died within minutes from traumatic injuries suffered from the fall.

Musgrove, who began a fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in August, was last heard from March 26 and was reported missing March 30 by the Middleton Police Department. She had traveled to the Potato River area for hiking and photography.

A statement from the university called her a "rising star with unbridled potential" who was held in high esteem for "incisive intelligence and surgical excellence." Helping others was important to Musgrove, according to the release. She assisted with college preparation programs for first-generation and low-income high school students, read to children in waiting rooms at a community health center and participated in mission trips to Haiti.

"Kelsey was a bright light who impacted all those whose lives she touched with her incredibly kind spirit," the statement read. "We will miss her greatly."