A Teenager Rescued After Hours-Long Search in Marshlands of Oakland County
A 14-year-old teen was successfully rescued on Tuesday from a muddy marsh in Oakland County, Michigan. The boy, who has autism, had been missing for several hours before he was found by first responders stuck waist-deep in the marsh.
The Incident
The teen was part of a camping group from his church, visiting the Proud Lake State Recreation Area. It was around 4 p.m. when he ran off from his group during a hiking session. The chaperones of the hiking group promptly informed the authorities when they couldn’t locate him.
The Search and Rescue Operation
The county first responders scrambled a search and rescue operation as quickly as possible, which included the use of a helicopter. The boy was spotted from the helicopter after a few hours, stuck in the muddy marsh of the recreational area, about 1.3 miles away from his group.
The Rescue
Upon spotting the boy, the team initiated an effort to extract him from the marsh. He was stuck up to his waist and was unable to get out on his own. The first responders reached him by boat and managed to rescue him safely to the shore. It was a race against time, and the authorities were relieved to have found him before it got late.
After the Rescue
Following his rescue, the boy was taken to a local hospital for a check-up. While he did sustain some minor scrapes and bruises, he was otherwise in good health and will make a full recovery.
Everyone involved in the rescue operation expressed their relief and joy at the successful rescue of the teen boy. They are grateful that he was found alive and that what could have been a tragic situation was defused thanks to the swift action of the search and rescue team.
