Two women and a 9-year-old boy survived on limited supplies before search teams tracked them through rugged terrain near the Muskegon River.
TWIN LAKE, Mich. — Two women and a 9-year-old boy were rescued from dense western Michigan woods after spending about three days stranded when their tubing trip on the Muskegon River went wrong, according to authorities and newly released body-camera video.
Sarah Vida, 28, her son, Kayden Kovalcik, 9, and Vida’s cousin Jazmin Hock, 28, were found Aug. 7 after search teams spent days checking the river and surrounding wilderness. Officials said the three had been tubing when they repeatedly encountered logs and their inflatable tubes were damaged. They left the river and tried to find a way out but became disoriented in the thick vegetation. Their rescue ended an extensive search involving law enforcement officers, conservation officers, emergency responders and other search personnel.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources later released body-camera footage showing conservation officers pushing through tall grass, brush and stinging nettles while calling for the missing group. A child’s response could eventually be heard in the distance, and officers moved toward the sound. The footage shows the rescuers reaching Vida, Kovalcik and Hock after tracking signs through terrain that officials described as difficult to see through and exhausting to cross.
Conservation officer Cameron Wright said the group was found about 7 miles from where they had entered the river. Searchers traced their route by following evidence that included an abandoned tube, footprints, broken twigs and flattened vegetation. Wright said search crews had been running out of places to look when the signs helped lead officers toward the stranded family. The three were ultimately located about three-quarters of a mile into the woods from the Mill Iron Road boat launch area, according to authorities.
Hock told rescuers that the group had encountered several log jams during the tubing trip before the final collision damaged their equipment. After leaving the water, they tried to walk toward safety but realized they were moving in circles. Their phone was broken, and by the time officers reached them, they had only a small amount of water remaining. Kovalcik told rescuers that the group had eaten bark and flowers, while Hock said they also drank river water during the ordeal.
The search began after relatives could not contact the group and became concerned when they failed to return. One of the women also missed a dentist appointment, according to officials. Vida’s vehicle was found near the Maple Island Boat Launch, and authorities began searching the river and nearby land. Search teams used ground crews and other resources as they tried to determine where the three had gone. Their inflatable tubes and footprints were among the clues found before rescuers narrowed the search area.
The conditions took a physical toll on all three. Body-camera video showed them wearing swimsuits after days of moving through thick brush. Officials said they suffered cuts, insect bites, dehydration and exhaustion. The two women were unable to walk out of the woods on their own, so rescue personnel placed them in Stokes baskets, a type of rescue stretcher. Wright carried Kovalcik on his back during part of the trip out.
Wright said the vegetation was so dense that rescuers themselves suffered cuts while moving through it. Muskegon County conservation officer Anna Cullen described vegetation rising above eye level, along with switchgrass and stinging nettles that made travel difficult. Cullen said the women later told rescuers that they initially thought they were hallucinating when the search team appeared. The body-camera footage captured officers providing clothing and other basic protection as the group prepared to leave the area.
Michigan State Police said the three were taken to a hospital after the rescue. Lt. Pat Agema, a department spokesperson, said they were treated for conditions including dehydration, infections and rashes. Earlier reports indicated some members of the group required continued treatment after they were found, but officials said by Aug. 11 that all three had returned home.
The rescue also brought new attention to the tracking work that led officers to the family after days of searching a large and rugged area. Instead of finding the three in an easily visible location along the river, officers had to follow small signs left behind as the group moved through the woods. The newly released body-camera recording provided the clearest public account of the final stage of the search and the moment rescuers heard and reached the missing group.
Authorities credited cooperation among conservation officers, police, firefighters, emergency responders, search teams and volunteers with bringing the search to a successful end. No further emergency involving the three had been reported as of the latest updates, and all were home following medical treatment.
Author note: Last updated August 15, 2026.