Mom and Young Son Found Alive THREE DAYS after going Missing

A Michigan mother, her 9-year-old son and her cousin have been found alive after spending three terrifying days stranded deep in the wilderness following what was supposed to be a relaxing river tubing trip.

Sarah Vida, 30, her son Kayden Kovalcik, 9, and her cousin Jasmin Hock, 28, vanished Tuesday after setting out on the Muskegon River in Newaygo County, sparking a massive search by worried relatives and law enforcement.

Against the odds, all three were located alive around 4:30 p.m. Friday by Michigan State Police K9 teams and officers with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

They were found deep in the woods several miles downstream from where Vida had parked her vehicle, according to local reports.

The remarkable discovery brought a joyful end to roughly 72 hours of fear for the family.

The trio had entered the Muskegon River near the Maple Island Boat Launch in Grant, Michigan, on Tuesday. The Muskegon is the second-longest river in the state.

But when they failed to return and relatives could no longer reach them, alarm bells began ringing.

The search intensified Wednesday after the father of one of the missing women discovered their vehicle near the river around 4 p.m. with a broken window.

Authorities began scouring the region by land, water and air, desperately searching for any sign of the two women and young boy.

Then came the first major break.

Two tubes believed to have belonged to the missing family members were discovered Thursday evening after crews repeatedly searched stretches of the river, Michigan State Police Lt. Pat Agema told FOX 17.

But the crucial clue would come the following day.

DNR officers spotted what appeared to be small, child-sized footprints in grass near a pile of logs along the riverbank Friday.

Realizing the tracks could belong to Kayden, officials called in additional help and began following the trail into the wilderness.

The footprints eventually led rescuers deep into the woods — and straight to the missing family.

Vida, Kayden and Hock were alive.

Agema said the moment brought enormous relief after days of uncertainty.

“I’m feeling elated, and I’m feeling elated for the family as well,” he told FOX 17.

Agema had been serving as a point of contact for relatives throughout the ordeal and said being able to finally deliver good news was an unforgettable moment.

“What a relief to give them good news,” he said.

The three were immediately taken to a hospital for evaluation.

Authorities said they were able to speak with rescuers but were clearly exhausted after enduring roughly three days exposed to the elements.

“They’re in rough shape right now,” Agema said. “They’re dehydrated. They’ve been out in the wilderness, mosquitoes and all the elements for 72 hours now.”

Despite their ordeal, officials said all three were expected to recover.

Kayden’s father, Brent Kovalcik, said in a Facebook post that the family members suffered “minor to moderate injuries.”

He also offered an emotional tribute to the enormous number of people who helped bring his son and relatives home.

“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 wrote.

His words captured the extraordinary show of cooperation between family members, local residents, police, conservation officers and search crews who refused to give up.

Just one day earlier, Kovalcik had described the anguish of not knowing whether his son was safe.

“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,” he wrote Thursday.

“I would give anything to have it be me instead of Jazz, Sarah and my son Kayden without hesitation.”

There was another frightening complication.

Family friend Margie Christie said Hock suffers from epilepsy and had been stranded without her medication, adding even more urgency to the search.

After the family was rescued, Christie shared the news supporters had been praying to hear.

“Thank you everyone for all the prayers. They are with us now. They are in the hospital getting treatment,” she wrote.

Christie said the three had suffered numerous cuts and were initially unable to walk following their exhausting ordeal.

But they were alive — an outcome that seemed increasingly uncertain as the search stretched into its third day.

What began as a family tubing trip had turned into a desperate fight for survival in the Michigan wilderness.

In the end, a set of tiny footprints, determined first responders and a community working together helped lead three missing family members back to safety.