Michigan DNR releases rescue video

The Michigan DNR has shared body-camera video of the rescue of two women and a 9-year-old boy who were lost in the woods for three days after trying to raft on the Muskegon River in pool toys.

They got on the river on pool floaties on Tuesday. And the inflatables didn’t last.

They didn’t tell anyone they were going, according to police. And they had no plan for getting back to their car that was left at a boat launch and was discovered by an acquaintance the next day.

Then, the search was on. The river was scoured on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Family members and searchers feared the worst.

On Friday afternoon, the searchers stopped at a long-jam on the river and they spotted the boys tracks leading into the woods.

They followed with a police canine. And they found Jazmin Hock, 28, her cousin, Sarah Vida, 30, and Vida’s son, Kayden Kovalcik, 9.

You could hear the elation in the voices of the rescuers. One said "Oh my God, really?" And added "holy crap, man" The boy sounded excited. He could be heard saying "We went to the river and we were on the river for 4 hours." A female DNR officer told him, "You're going to be okay."

They were beaten up by the ordeal. They were scratched and bitten by mosquitos. All three were hospitalized for treatment of minor injuries.

They told the DNR officers they thought they were walking toward the car when they set off into the woods.

The DNR said they were found miles away, about as far from roads or homes as they could get.

DNR press release:

An emotional moment was captured last week as missing tubers were found by search and rescue teams!

We are relieved that Jazman Hock, Sarah Vida and Kayden Kovalcik were located safe and alive on Friday, after becoming lost while tubing on the Muskegon River in Twin Lake..

This search and rescue event is an example of the unique skills and training conservation officers receive to look for missing people.

DNR officers are trained to look for specific details in the environment that could commonly be overlooked.

As shown in the provided Body Worn Camera footage, this is how CO Cameron Wright describes how he and his partners, COs Anna Cullen and Seth Rhodea, used their skills:

“My partner and I work this area all the time, we know it very well. We checked this spot based on our training and knowledge of the area – we knew this specific location is the most remote area that the tubers could have been pulled to and it would be a bad spot to get lost because it’s the furthest point from any roads or houses.

We could see in the middle of the log jam a path in the grass – the tubers came down some logs and went through water, then onto the riverbank and into the trees.

We were able to see where they entered the woods and requested assistance once we located footprints in the mud.

We followed the track, looking for areas where ferns were tipped over, grass was bent, sticks were snapped – all in a certain direction.”

Learn more about Michigan DNR conservation officers and their training at: https://youtube.com/playlist...