Body Cam Footage Shows Moment Family of Tubers Was Rescued from the Woods Days After Going Missing: ‘You’re Okay Now’ 

“We got lost on the river. We went to the river and we were on the river for four hours,” the 12-year-old told officers once they were found

NEED TO KNOW

• Two women and a child were found alive three days after they went missing while tubing on the Muskegon River in Michigan, authorities said
• Body cam footage revealed the exact moment when rescuers found the trio sitting in a patch of tall grass
• “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,” Conservation Officer Cameron Wright said

Body camera footage reveals the moment that two adults and a 12-year-old boy were rescued after being stranded in the wilderness for nearly three days.

On Wednesday, Aug. 5, the Michigan State Police was notified of the three missing family members — Jazmin Hock, her cousin Sarah Vida and Vida’s son Kayden Kovalcik — after one of their relatives could not get in touch with them when they got lost while tubing.

Nearly three days after the trio disappeared, the Michigan State Police announced that they had been “located alive and safe.”

“This is the outcome everyone involved had hoped for,” officials wrote on X on Friday, Aug. 7. “We are incredibly grateful for the tireless efforts of the many law enforcement agencies, fire departments, emergency responders, search and rescue teams, and volunteers who dedicated countless hours to this search.”

Following their rescue, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources shared body cam footage showing the moment that first responders found the trio. 

“An emotional moment was captured last week as missing tubers were found by search and rescue teams,” the agency wrote on Facebook. “This search and rescue event is an example of the unique skills and training conservation officers receive to look for missing people.”

In the video, rescuers could be seen instructing the family members to make noise as they made their way through tall grasses to locate them. After a few moments, they finally found the missing relatives. 

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“We got lost on the river,” the 12-year-old could be heard telling one of the officers. “We went to the river and we were on the river for four hours.”

After one of the women appeared to reunite with a loved one, the police officer pointed out that she seemed to be “cut up” and unable to walk very well. 

“My partner and I work this area all the time, we know it very well,” Conservation Officer Cameron Wright said in a quote shared on the department’s Facebook post. “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.”

He continued, “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,” Wright shared. “We followed the track, looking for areas where ferns were tipped over, grass was bent, sticks were snapped — all in a certain direction.”