Three people who disappeared during a tubing trip on Michigan’s Muskegon River were found alive after spending roughly 72 hours in the wilderness, ending a days-long search that turned on one small but critical clue: a set of child-sized footprints near a log jam.
FOX 17 WXMI photojournalist Isaac Gould reported that Jazmin Houck, Sarah Vida and 9-year-old Kayden Kovalcik were located Friday afternoon about three-quarters of a mile northeast of the Mill Iron Boat Launch in Muskegon County.
Michigan Department of Natural Resources officers spotted the tracks in the grass, then called in a Michigan State Police K-9 team from Marine Services, which followed the trail deeper into the woods until searchers finally found the missing trio.
Searchers Had Already Found Their Tubes
By Thursday evening, authorities had discovered two tubes believed to belong to the missing people, giving search teams another place to focus their efforts.
Michigan State Police Lt. Pat Agema told Gould that DNR personnel had been repeatedly traveling up and down the river and returning to places where tubes, debris and other possible clues had been found.
“Our Department of Natural Resources personnel were going up and down the river, trying to go back to the locations that we had located tubes at or other debris,” Agema said.
The search continued into Friday, with crews still trying to determine where Houck, Vida and Kayden could have left the river or become stranded.
After three days, that kind of search can become increasingly difficult. A river corridor is already a complicated place to search, and once people move into thick woods away from the water, the area that rescuers have to consider grows very quickly.
Child Footprints Became The Break They Needed
The breakthrough came at about 4:30 Friday afternoon.
Agema said DNR officers returned to a specific log jam along the riverbank and decided to get out and inspect the area on foot.
That was when they noticed small footprints in the grass.
“When they went back to this specific log jam, they actually got out and walked on the log jam and noticed some child footprints in the grass,” Agema said.
The tracks were not the same footprints that had reportedly been found the previous day, according to Gould’s report, making this a new lead rather than a repeat of an earlier clue.
DNR officers then contacted Michigan State Police, which had a K-9 aboard one of the Marine Services boats.
The dog and officers began following the footprints away from the river.
“The farther they went in, they kept following these small foot tracks and eventually located them,” Agema said.
It is a remarkably simple clue considering the scale of the search. After boats, repeated sweeps of the river and days of uncertainty, a few small prints in the grass ultimately pointed rescuers in the right direction.
The Trio Was Found Deep In The Wilderness
Houck, Vida and Kayden were found alive deep in the wooded area after roughly 72 hours outdoors.
Gould reported that all three were able to communicate with rescuers but were exhausted and in poor physical condition from dehydration and exposure.
“They’re in rough shape right now,” Agema said shortly after the rescue. “You know, they’re dehydrated. They’ve been out in the wilderness, mosquitoes and all the elements for 72 hours now.”
The three were removed from the woods and taken to a hospital for evaluation.
Authorities expected them to recover.
Their survival after three days in the elements is notable on its own. Heat, dehydration, insects, exhaustion and unfamiliar terrain can quickly turn a recreational outing into a serious emergency, especially when a child is involved.
Good News After Days Of Uncertainty
Agema said the rescue brought enormous relief not only to the search teams but also to the family members who had been waiting for news.
“I’m feeling elated, and I’m feeling elated for the family as well,” he told Gould.
Agema had been serving as the point of contact for two relatives during the search, which meant he was also the person who finally got to tell them that their loved ones were alive.
“It was what a relief to give them good news,” he said. “And that really, really made me feel good.”
That moment is easy to overlook beside the technical details of tracking footprints and coordinating boats, but it is probably the emotional center of the rescue. For three days, the families had no certainty about what had happened; then one phone call changed the entire outcome.
Multiple Agencies Helped Bring Them Home
The successful search involved coordination between the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Michigan State Police, including Marine Services and the K-9 unit.
Agema credited the outcome to having the right teams working the right areas at the right time.
“It was about putting the right personnel in the right spots to bring this to a successful ending,” he said.
Gould reported from the Mill Iron Boat Launch, near where authorities said the three were eventually located.
The rescue also showed why search teams often revisit the same areas rather than assuming an earlier pass was enough. Conditions change, tracks become visible from different angles, and one clue that was missed before can suddenly stand out.
In this case, going back to the log jam made all the difference.
A Tubing Trip Became A Three-Day Survival Ordeal
What began as a routine trip down the Muskegon River ended with two women and a 9-year-old spending three days lost in the wilderness.
The discovery of the abandoned tubes had already suggested where the group might have left the water, but it took the later footprint find and the K-9 track to connect searchers directly to them.
All three were dehydrated and exhausted when found, but alive.
That is the outcome rescuers and relatives had been hoping for since the search began, and after 72 hours of uncertainty, the final few hundred yards followed by the K-9 turned a missing-person case into a successful rescue.
For Agema, who had spent those days speaking with worried relatives, the result was simple: relief.
For the families, it meant getting the news they had been waiting to hear – that Houck, Vida and Kayden were finally coming home.
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, John developed a love for the great outdoors early on. With years of experience as a wilderness guide, he’s navigated rugged terrains and unpredictable weather patterns. John is also an avid hunter and fisherman who believes in sustainable living. His focus on practical survival skills, from building shelters to purifying water, reflects his passion for preparedness. When he’s not out in the wild, you can find him sharing his knowledge through writing, hoping to inspire others to embrace self-reliance.
