Stranded Michigan Family Found After Raft Breaks on River

A new video captures the intense final moments when a family of three stranded in the wild was finally found after getting lost while tubing on a Michigan river. The footage documents how members of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources alongside a Michigan State Police K-9 unit located Jazman Hock, her cousin Sarah Vida, and Sarah's nine-year-old son Kayden Kovalcik on Aug. 8. This discovery happened only after the trio had been stuck for three days following an incident on the Muskegon River where their rafts broke apart.

One woman was badly cut up and wearing a bathing suit while Kovalick appeared shirtless during the ordeal. Teresa Hock, Jazman's mother speaking to WWMT, explained that the group used rafts meant strictly for pools before they failed and left them stranded. The family can be heard describing their situation to the rescue team as the troopers closed in. One rescuer shouted instructions like "Make some noise... Yell!" while others waded through thick forest grass to reach the hidden group.

"We got lost on the river," the shirtless Kovalcik stated clearly during the broadcast. He continued by saying they spent four hours on the water before becoming separated from safety. The rescuers appeared visibly shaken as one exasperated officer said "oh my God" multiple times while another hugged one of the two women repeatedly telling her "good job, good job." It remains unclear exactly which woman received that praise but one official noted she was cut up and could not walk very well at all.

The mother revealed a heartbreaking detail about how they managed hunger during those long hours away from civilization. While the trio had packed protein bars and water for survival, they gave all the food to the young Kovalcik so he would have strength. The two women survived on flowers, bark and ants instead of proper nutrition while waiting for help to arrive in the wilderness.

Michigan State Police issued a statement confirming Jazman Hock, Sarah Vida, and Kayden Kovalcik were located alive and safe by an MSP K-9 team and Michigan DNR Conservation Officers approximately three-quarters of a mile northeast of the Mill Iron Rd Boat Launch at 4:36 pm. The post concluded that it was truly remarkable to see so many highly trained professionals from multiple agencies come together by establishing a Unified Command, share resources, and work as one team toward a common goal. Teresa Hock expressed relief over this outcome which everyone involved had hoped for while remaining incredibly grateful for the tireless efforts of law enforcement agencies, fire departments, emergency responders, search and rescue teams, and volunteers who dedicated countless hours to this search. Fox News Digital contacted both Michigan State Police and Michigan Department of Natural Resources for further comment regarding these events.