Missing River Tubers Found Alive

rescued tubers (photo from Facebook)

compiled from several sources



Three people, two young women and a 9-year-old boy, have been found alive after being missing for three days.

They had been tubing on the Muskegon River (Michigan), but were floating in what were pool toys rather than tubes sturdy enough for river floating.

The father of one of the women reported them missing on Wednesday after she missed a medical appointment. He found their car with a broken window. It is unclear if that is related to the incident, but it caused speculation that there might have been foul play.

Their floats were found and a child's footprints, several miles downriver. A K-9 crew was brought in and the trio was located Friday afternoon about 0.75 mile from where the tubes were found in dense forest.

They apparently followed a trail from the river, but it led them deeper into the woods rather than to civilization.

Michigan State Police are happy to report this positive outcome.

Several other less spectacular rescues have taken place this week. Please plan well, check weather, increase your knowledge and recreate safely!

See WOOD TV report


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South Haven Area Emergency Services Rescues

ropes being deployed for Kal-Haven cyclist rescue (photo from South Haven Area Emergency Services)

from South Haven Area Emergency Serives

One rescue reported here took place on private property, but for the second time this month the ropes rescue team has been able to successfully bring a victime to safety.

On July 9, a cyclist went off the Kal-Haven Trail and slid 20-25 feet down a slope into a ravine. Emergency personnel stabilized the patient, deployed rope systems to haul them back to the trail, and used a UTV to transport them roughly half a mile to a waiting ambulance where the person was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries

This week, a person fell off a lift designed to carry people up and down a 100-foot Lake Michigan dune. In this case, the victim was placed in a stokes basket, lowered to lake level and then brought back to the top of the dune for transport. The injuries were not life-threatening. However, the resuce took 10 people and more than an hour to accomplish.

This article is a reminder that emergency personnel are highly trained to assist those in need. However, staying safe in the first place is always a good practice.

See article about Kal-Haven rescue


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Alpine Firefighters Use what3words to Rescue Cyclist

recue in progress (photo from Alpine Firefighters)

from Alpine Firefighters Association

Alpine Township Fire Department (Kent County, Michigan) responded this week to a report of an injured mountain biker on the Perrin Flow Trail of the Wahlfield Park trail system. This is in a remote section of the park and is not easily reached by traditional emergency apparatus.

The location of the injured cyclist was pinpointed using what3words. This location system divides the globe into 3-meter squares each with a unique address consisting of three words.

Kent County Sheriff's Office dispatch relayed that location to responding crews in real time. Alpine Firefighters determined the fastest entry point to reach the victim, always a challenge in remote locations. Advanced Life Support personnel assesed and treated the patient before transporting to a hospital.

The ATVs used to reach the site were received through the Firehouse Subs Foundation grant program. The department states that this is a good example of layering technology with traditional radio communication to locate and aid the injured person in a timely manner.


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Teamwork Leads to Finding Man Missing on AuSable River

footprint of missing man (photo by Michigan DNR)

mostly from WZZM TV

A man who had been on a tubing adventure with his family on the AuSable River, Roscommon County, Michigan, decided to stay on the water after the rest of his family got off the river.

Several hours later, when no one had heard from the 33-year-old, he was reported missing at 7:23 pm. The tuber had no shoes, no clothing except swim trunks, and no cell phone.

A DNR Conservation officer found footprints at the next take-out point, about an hour's float time downstream. However, the tracks ultimately led back to the river. The officer continued to the next landing, where he again found the same footprints. He radioed for additional personnel who began walking toward the first officer's position.

The missing man was found after dark at 11:15 pm, unharmed except for scratches and bug bites. He had walked approximately 4.5 miles all together.

This is a good example of an adventure-gone-wrong story that ended well but should not have happened in the first place. Poor decisions led to anxiety, stress, and the cost of using public resources to locate someone. Although it's a great joke- "Bad Decisions Make Good Stories" - it would be better for all concerned to make the good decisions.


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Hiker Rescued from Whaleback Natural Area

rescue in operation (photo from Leland Township Fire & Rescue)

from WOOD TV

A hiker who suffered a medical emergency in the Whaleback Natural Area on Tuesday was located and extraced by Leland Township Fire and Rescue.

Whaleback Natural Area is in the Leelanau Peninsula north of Traverse City, Michigan.

The hikers exact location was pinpointed, and the rescue crew was able to travel directly to the site. However, a hand carry for extraction was required over difficult terrain. The rescue took over 90 minutes.

Cell and radio coverage was spotty, but the crew was able to summon help to carry the person to a waiting ambulance. The hiker was transported to Munson Medical Center and is expected to make a full recovery.

Leland Township Fire and Rescue thanks friends and neighbors for their help!

See Whaleback Natural Area


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Michigan Man Rescued from Alum Cave Trail in Smoky Mountains

Alum Cave(photo courtesy of NPS)

based on an article in the Smoky Mountain News

Bill Runyon, of Michigan, is recovering from an ordeal experienced July 27, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Runyon was hiking the Alum Cave Trail with relatives, when he fell fifteen feet. Sustaining back and neck injuries, he was unable to make the return hike.

Bill Runyon, age 64, was hiking the Alum Cave Trail with family members when he fell more than 15 feet below the trail, sustaining back and neck injuries, rendering him unable to hike back to the trailhead. The Alum Cave Trail is described as being 2.5 miles each way, but Runyon was reported to be 4 miles from his vehicle.

Rangers arrived by late afternoon, a team of eleven rescuers. However, severe thunderstorms forced them to set up a temporary shelter for the night. Runyon was stable, and they kept him dry and warm. Two medics and two rangers stayed the night with the injured man, and he was transported out in the morning. Nearly 4 inches of rain fell that night, with wind and lightning. The final extraction included river crossings and the staircase through Arch Rock. Completing the rescue in the dark and a storm would have increased the hazard.

The article did not state Runyon's Michigan city of residence.

Read the entire article Smokies rangers rescue fallen hiker in storm conditions
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based on a news article at Firehouse.com

Crockery Township (Ottawa County) Fire Chief, Gary Dreyer, reported that a hiker was rescued on Monday, September 26. The man, in his 40's, had been hiking in the Crockery Creek Natural Area. He apparently fell and hit his head on a log. The hiker and a friend were following a deer trail into a ravine. One man stepped on a rotting log and lost his footing, falling on another log.

Fortunately the friend was able to call 911. Although the Natural Area is not far from "civilization," the shortest route to reach the injured hiker was through heavy brush. Dreyer described the extraction as "labor intensive." He also cited recent rains as creating difficult and slippery conditions.

It was impossible to get an ATV to the scene, so the man was carried out on a stretcher, the old-fashioned way. The injured man was taken to Spectrum Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids to be checked out, but was conscious and alert by that time.



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Search and Rescue Courses for the Public

from Fortune Bay Company, used with permission

Kent County Search and Rescue is putting on their SAR School 2011 (with the help of Fortune Bay Expedition Team). They have opened four courses for the public as a fundraising effort.

These courses are packed with information and meet the standards of various SAR and Emergency Service Agencies. If you are a SAR member or if you would just like to learn more about the subjects, then these may be for you. These will be evening courses held at the Kent County Sheriff's Department or a Kent County Location. You don't necessarily have to have the equipment and you DON'T have to be part of a SAR Agency to take them.

Courses are:
1. Land Navigation & Orienteering (fulfills many Boy Scout Merit Badge requirements) - March 22, 23
2. Survival & Improvisation - April 5
3. Human Tracking and Search Technology - March 17
4. Technical Rescue/ Ropework - April 19

Fees are cheap, $20 for each class ($30 for Technical Rescue)

See Fortune Bay
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