Wife Falls 200 Feet From Cliff In Gruesome Death After Sunrise Hike With Husband

A couple's scenic sunrise hike ended in tragedy on Tuesday, June 15, after wife Calli Aust died as she reportedly fell about 200 feet from the Steamboat Point cliff in the Bighorn Mountains. The Sheridan County Sheriff's Office officially ruled out foul play in the unfortunate accident on Wednesday.

In a statement, the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office said that they first received an emergency call around 5:50 a.m. Tuesday from a man who reported that his 29-year-old and wife, Aust, had slipped and fallen off Steamboat Point in the Bighorn Mountains while they were on a hike, Star-Tribune reported.

The husband had said he was uncertain where his wife was located after the unfortunate fall. Responders finally arrived at Wyoming clifftop around 6:30 in the morning.

At 7:15 a.m., Aust was spotted near the base of the southwest side of Steamboat Point. The Bighorn National Forest Service immediately arrived at the area to recover her. Unfortunately, Aust was found dead on the scene after succumbing to her fatal injuries.

Sheridan County Sheriff's Office has ruled the death as accidental, dismissing any suspicions of foul play in the horrific fall, Fox News reported. The husband had earlier expressed that he wasn't sure where exactly his wife slipped and fell due to low visibility that early morning.

“Steamboat Point is an abandoned fire lookout in the Bighorn National Forest. There is an old pipe rail just west of what remains of the building's concrete footers,” BNF Public Affairs Officer Sara Kirol told the Sheridan Press. "It is not a safe barrier but merely a remnant of the lookout tower.”

Kirol warned the public that there are no safety measures specifically at Steamboat Point, which is typical for all high, steep locations, and undeveloped sites on the forest.

She has urged hikers to be mindful that there can be significant cliff edges surrounding most of the uplift of Steamboat Point.

"Cliff edges are unstable, and there are a lot of loose rocks on the top of these high places," Kirol added. "Standing or sitting near or on the edge of cliff faces is very risky, no matter the location."

Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office, together with the Sheridan County Search and Rescue, Dayton Fire-Rescue, Rocky Mountain Ambulance, Sheridan Fire-Rescue, and the Wyoming Highway Patrol, all primarily responded to the incident, the statement stated.

The team had requested a Life Flight, which was later canceled as they were able to locate the body. The Sheridan County Coroner's Office is handling a concurrent investigation.