A Four-Hour Float, Three Days Lost | E 259
Show notes
A summer tubing trip on Michigan’s Muskegon River was supposed to last just four hours. But when two women and a nine-year-old boy failed to return, a massive search and rescue operation began.Boats, helicopters, drones, K-9 teams and crews from four counties searched miles of river and dense Michigan wilderness for the three missing tubers. With few reliable clues and the search growing more urgent, investigators kept coming back to one strange detail—a pool tube caught in a pile of flood debris.This week on The Crux: True Survival Stories, a casual day on the river becomes a wilderness survival ordeal and a remarkable search for three missing people.
00:00 The Sound of Traffic, But No Road
00:30 Lost Surprisingly Close to Civilization
01:18 A Four-Hour Float on the Muskegon
02:16 The Flood That Changed the River
3:45 When Low Water Becomes Dangerous
05:06 A Spur-of-the-Moment River Trip
07:17 The Two-Minute Plan They Didn't Have
09:00 Everything Changes at a Log Jam
09:47 The Decision That Changed the Search
11:39 Why We Keep Moving When We're Lost
16:19 Three Days No One Can Account For
17:33 What They Were Up Against
19:52 When the Water Runs Out
22:19 What You'd Want in Your Survival Kit
23:24 Bark, Ants and the Question of Food
25:35 A Smashed Window Sends a Bad Signal
26:51 The Search Explodes
28:07 Drones, Dogs and a Forest They Can't See
29:23 The Problem With Finding Their Tubes
30:16 Why Lost People Walk in Circles
32:43 Three Days Barefoot
33:34 One Detail Doesn't Make Sense
37:49 Following a Trail Through the Green Wall
40:16 “Command, We Got Visuals”
43:03 What Could Have Prevented All of This
45:20 The Clue That Changed Everything
References
WWMT — “Missing Tubers Found Alive After Three-Day Search on Muskegon River, Troopers Say”
https://wwmt.com/news/local/missing-tubers-muskegon-river-found-alive-women-child-search-investigation-state-police-grant-newaygo-county-west-michiganWWMT — “BODYCAM: Rescue Teams Find Missing Muskegon River Tubers After Three-Day Search”
https://wwmt.com/news/local/missing-tubers-muskegon-river-michigan-search-rescue-two-women-child-three-days-department-natural-resources-state-police-officers-newaygo-county-west-michiganWWMT — “Family Member of Tubers Rescued After Three Days Describes Their Struggle to Survive”
https://wwmt.com/news/local/he-ate-bark-ants-family-rescued-tubers-describe-their-struggle-survive-jazmin-hock-sarah-vida-kayden-kovalcik-muskegon-river-three-days-msp-policeWWMT — “The Clues That Led Michigan DNR Officers to Finding a Missing Family on the Muskegon River”
https://wwmt.com/news/local/clues-search-rescue-muskegon-newaygo-dnr-conservation-officer-michigan-family-three-people-river-missing-august-2026-found-alive-wwmtWOOD TV8 — “‘Beat the Odds’: Family Celebrates After Missing Tubers Found Near Muskegon River”
https://www.woodtv.com/news/muskegon-county/family-speaks-after-missing-tubers-found-near-muskegon-river/NewsNation — “Bodycam Footage Shows Rescue of Tubers Missing Three Days in Michigan”
https://www.newsnationnow.com/missing/missing-michigan-tubers-rescue-video/NBC News — “River Tubers’ 4-Hour Tour Turned Into 3 Days of Survival in Remote Michigan Woods”
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/river-tubers-4-hour-tour-turned-3-days-survival-remote-michigan-woods-rcna592038Fox News — “Video Shows Michigan K-9 Unit Rescuing Family Lost on Muskegon River”
https://www.foxnews.com/us/michigan-rescuers-find-family-stranded-3-days-after-tubing-trip-dramatic-videoFOX 9 — “Missing Michigan Tubers Survived Off Bark and Flowers for 72 Hours”
https://www.fox9.com/news/missing-tubers-muskegon-river-michigan-found-video9&10 News — “Muskegon River Reaches Major Flood Stage, Prompting Newaygo County Evacuations”
https://www.9and10news.com/2026/04/16/muskegon-river-reaches-major-flood-stage-prompting-newaygo-county-evacuations/WZZM13 — “The Muskegon and Grand Rivers Finally Begin to Recede After Major Flooding”
https://www.wzzm13.com/article/weather/river-levels-drop-after-record-flooding-for-some/69-5c97cd32-9ee3-4645-a361-6487afa11a93FOX 17 — “Record-Setting Flooding Expected Along Muskegon River”
https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/michigan/newaygo/record-setting-flooding-expected-along-muskegon-river
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support.
Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast
Email us! [email protected]
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/
Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/
Use discount code CRUX to get 10% off tuition on a 2-day Wilderness First Aid course!
This episode includes AI-generated content.
00:00 The Sound of Traffic, But No Road
00:30 Lost Surprisingly Close to Civilization
01:18 A Four-Hour Float on the Muskegon
02:16 The Flood That Changed the River
3:45 When Low Water Becomes Dangerous
05:06 A Spur-of-the-Moment River Trip
07:17 The Two-Minute Plan They Didn't Have
09:00 Everything Changes at a Log Jam
09:47 The Decision That Changed the Search
11:39 Why We Keep Moving When We're Lost
16:19 Three Days No One Can Account For
17:33 What They Were Up Against
19:52 When the Water Runs Out
22:19 What You'd Want in Your Survival Kit
23:24 Bark, Ants and the Question of Food
25:35 A Smashed Window Sends a Bad Signal
26:51 The Search Explodes
28:07 Drones, Dogs and a Forest They Can't See
29:23 The Problem With Finding Their Tubes
30:16 Why Lost People Walk in Circles
32:43 Three Days Barefoot
33:34 One Detail Doesn't Make Sense
37:49 Following a Trail Through the Green Wall
40:16 “Command, We Got Visuals”
43:03 What Could Have Prevented All of This
45:20 The Clue That Changed Everything
References
WWMT — “Missing Tubers Found Alive After Three-Day Search on Muskegon River, Troopers Say”
https://wwmt.com/news/local/missing-tubers-muskegon-river-found-alive-women-child-search-investigation-state-police-grant-newaygo-county-west-michiganWWMT — “BODYCAM: Rescue Teams Find Missing Muskegon River Tubers After Three-Day Search”
https://wwmt.com/news/local/missing-tubers-muskegon-river-michigan-search-rescue-two-women-child-three-days-department-natural-resources-state-police-officers-newaygo-county-west-michiganWWMT — “Family Member of Tubers Rescued After Three Days Describes Their Struggle to Survive”
https://wwmt.com/news/local/he-ate-bark-ants-family-rescued-tubers-describe-their-struggle-survive-jazmin-hock-sarah-vida-kayden-kovalcik-muskegon-river-three-days-msp-policeWWMT — “The Clues That Led Michigan DNR Officers to Finding a Missing Family on the Muskegon River”
https://wwmt.com/news/local/clues-search-rescue-muskegon-newaygo-dnr-conservation-officer-michigan-family-three-people-river-missing-august-2026-found-alive-wwmtWOOD TV8 — “‘Beat the Odds’: Family Celebrates After Missing Tubers Found Near Muskegon River”
https://www.woodtv.com/news/muskegon-county/family-speaks-after-missing-tubers-found-near-muskegon-river/NewsNation — “Bodycam Footage Shows Rescue of Tubers Missing Three Days in Michigan”
https://www.newsnationnow.com/missing/missing-michigan-tubers-rescue-video/NBC News — “River Tubers’ 4-Hour Tour Turned Into 3 Days of Survival in Remote Michigan Woods”
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/river-tubers-4-hour-tour-turned-3-days-survival-remote-michigan-woods-rcna592038Fox News — “Video Shows Michigan K-9 Unit Rescuing Family Lost on Muskegon River”
https://www.foxnews.com/us/michigan-rescuers-find-family-stranded-3-days-after-tubing-trip-dramatic-videoFOX 9 — “Missing Michigan Tubers Survived Off Bark and Flowers for 72 Hours”
https://www.fox9.com/news/missing-tubers-muskegon-river-michigan-found-video9&10 News — “Muskegon River Reaches Major Flood Stage, Prompting Newaygo County Evacuations”
https://www.9and10news.com/2026/04/16/muskegon-river-reaches-major-flood-stage-prompting-newaygo-county-evacuations/WZZM13 — “The Muskegon and Grand Rivers Finally Begin to Recede After Major Flooding”
https://www.wzzm13.com/article/weather/river-levels-drop-after-record-flooding-for-some/69-5c97cd32-9ee3-4645-a361-6487afa11a93FOX 17 — “Record-Setting Flooding Expected Along Muskegon River”
https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/michigan/newaygo/record-setting-flooding-expected-along-muskegon-river
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support.
Listen AD FREE: Support our podcast at patreon: http://patreon.com/TheCruxTrueSurvivalPodcast
Email us! [email protected]
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/
Get schooled by Julie in wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/
Use discount code CRUX to get 10% off tuition on a 2-day Wilderness First Aid course!
This episode includes AI-generated content.