Mom, Son and Cousin Found Alive Three Days After Going Missing

A Michigan mother, her nine-year-old son and her cousin have been found alive in what officials described as a remarkable rescue, three days after they vanished during a tubing trip on the Muskegon River.

Sarah Vida, 30, her son Kayden Kovalcik, and Vida’s cousin, Jasmin Hock, 28, set out Tuesday to go tubing in Newaygo County but failed to return home, according to Michigan State Police.

The days-long search ended around 4.30pm Friday, when Michigan State Police K9 teams and officers with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources located the missing trio, officials said.

They were found “deep in the woods” several miles downriver from the spot where Vida had parked her car, WZZM reported.

Vida, Kayden and Hock had entered the Muskegon River — Michigan’s second-longest river — near the Maple Island Boat Launch in Grant, roughly 186 miles from Detroit, on Tuesday.

Concern escalated Wednesday when the father of one of the missing women discovered their vehicle at about 4pm with a broken window. Relatives had also been unable to contact the group.

Authorities then launched an extensive search across the area, deploying teams by both water and air as they worked to find the mother, child and young woman.

Two tubes believed to belong to the missing people were found on Thursday evening after officials went up and down the river, Michigan State Police Lt Pat Agema told Fox 17. 

DNR officials soon realized small child-sized footprints in the grass near a pile of logs along the riverbank on Friday and called in extra reinforcements to track them, the outlet reported. 

When officials followed the tracks deep into the wilderness, they found the missing tubers, the report stated. 

Agema said he is elated that the 72-hour search for the family ended in a good outcome. 

‘I’m feeling elated, and I’m feeling elated for the family as well,’ Agema told the station. 

‘I was the point of contact for two of the family members, and I was speaking to them, and it was what a relief to give them good news, and that really really made me feel good.’ 

The three family members were taken to the hospital, and according to Agema, they were talking but clearly exhausted from their days in the elements. 

‘They’re in rough shape right now. You know, they’re dehydrated. They’ve been out in the wilderness, mosquitoes and all the elements for 72 hours now. 

‘So they are being transported to the hospital, and they are going to be evaluated and be released from there,’ he said. 

They are all expected to recover, the outlet said. 

Brent Kovalcik, the father of the nine-year-old, also said in a Facebook post on Friday that they all suffered ‘minor to moderate injuries.’ 

He went on to thank all the people who assisted in the successful search and rescue. 

‘It took a village to make a miracle happen and that is what the human race is capable of when we work united not divided,’ Kovalcik said.  

While the three of them were missing, worried family members and friends took to Facebook to spread the word about their disappearance. 

On Thursday, Kovalcik posted: ‘I have experienced many highs and lows in my life, but nothing comes even remotely close to the fear and pain that I am going through. 

‘I would give anything to have it be me instead of jazz, sarah and my son kayden without hesitation.’ 

Margie Christie, another worried local, shared at the time that Hock suffers from epilepsy and was without her medication. 

After they were found, Christie joined several others rejoicing in the great news.  

‘Thank you everyone for all the prayers. They are with us now. They are in the hospital getting treatment,’ she said, adding that ‘they have so many cuts on them’ and that they ‘can’t walk.’ 

The Daily Mail contacted the Michigan State Police and the Michigan DNR for comment.