Michigan Rescue Teams Find Three Missing Tubers After Three Days Lost in Dense Brush

Body camera footage released by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources documents the dramatic moment conservation officers discovered two women and a young boy who had been missing for three days near the Muskegon River in west Michigan. The group—Sarah Vida, 28, Jazmin Hock, 28, and 9-year-old Kayden Kovalcik—were found Friday approximately 7 miles from where they initially entered the water, their bodies covered in cuts, bug bites, and scrapes after days traversing dense, difficult terrain.

The trio’s ordeal began when their tubing excursion on the Muskegon River near the community of Twin Lake went awry after striking multiple log jams that punctured their tubes. Unable to continue by water, they began walking but soon realized they were traveling in circles, becoming increasingly disoriented as they attempted to find their way out of the rugged landscape. One of the women’s failure to appear at a dental appointment prompted authorities to launch a search operation across the river and surrounding area.

Cameron Wright, a conservation officer from Newaygo County, described the challenging rescue conditions, pushing through shoulder-high switchgrass and stinging nettles to locate the missing group. The rescuers tracked the trio by following a tube left along the riverbank, along with footprints, broken branches, and trampled vegetation marking their path through the woods.

According to video documentation, the stranded group survived by consuming bark and flowers while drinking water directly from the river. Hock’s legs bore extensive lacerations from walking through sharp vegetation, and rescue personnel provided medical assistance immediately upon discovery, including offering their own clothing to shield the injured from insects and securing the women in stretchers for evacuation.

Anna Cullen, a conservation officer from Muskegon County who participated in the rescue, characterized the terrain as brutally inhospitable, with vegetation taller than eye level and plants capable of causing severe physical reactions. Wright carried the young boy on his back during the rescue, later recounting that Kayden remained remarkably upbeat despite his ordeal, speaking enthusiastically about root beer, slushies, pizza, and doughnuts throughout the journey out of the woods.

All three survivors were transported to a hospital for treatment of dehydration, exhaustion, and their numerous cuts and scrapes. Wright noted that the successful discovery felt miraculous after rescue teams had nearly exhausted their search options and locations.