CRAWFORD COUNTY – A Flint man safely located after getting lost on Au Sable River near Roscommon
According to a statement from the Michigan DNR, A 33-year-old Flint man who was tubing on the Au Sable River near Roscommon on Thursday afternoon was found safe later that evening after family members reported him missing.
The family, who were visiting the area, rented tubes from Campbell’s Canoe, Kayak & Tubing Livery for a float down the Au Sable River. When the group reached Meads Landing, the man decided to continue floating downriver alone. After several hours passed without him arriving at the next landing, family members called 911 at 7:23 p.m.
Around 9 p.m., Michigan Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer Ben McAteer joined the search. Near Willows Road, about 1 mile downriver, he found footprints matching the missing man’s description. The location was about an hour’s travel time by water from where the search began. McAteer followed the footprints for about a mile before they returned to the river.
McAteer then continued downriver to an area known as “the Chapel,” about a two-hour float from the previous location. There, he found the same footprints on a two-track trail leading away from the river. He radioed the direction of the tracks to incident command.
South Branch Township Fire Chief Mike Umphrey began searching from the opposite end of the two-track and headed toward McAteer. At 11:15 p.m., Umphrey found the missing man walking along the trail.
Aside from scratches and bug bites, the man was in good condition and grateful to be found.
Investigators said the man had walked more than 4.5 miles before he was located. He was wearing only a swimsuit and did not have shoes or a cellphone.
“We appreciate the great teamwork from all agencies involved in this search and are thankful this man was safely reunited with family,” said Chief Brandon Kieft of DNR Law Enforcement.
“The Au Sable is a great place to be on nice days. We encourage everyone to float the river in groups, sober, with life jackets, and allow plenty of time to get off the water before it gets dark. Given weather conditions, this situation could have been much worse.”
The Crawford County Sheriff’s Office led incident command. Assisting agencies included the DNR, South Branch Township Fire, Roscommon County Sheriff’s Department, Michigan State Police and Campbell’s Canoe, Kayak & Tubing Livery.
McAteer has served as a conservation officer since 2015 and patrols Crawford County. He is also a member of the DNR Search and Rescue Team.
