NEWAYGO COUNTY, Mich. – The search for two women and a 9-year-old child reported missing after going on the Muskegon River continues Friday.
Jazmin Hock, 28, of Muskegon; Sarah Vida, 28, of Muskegon; and Kayden Kovalcik, 9, have been missing for at least 48 hours since heading out on the river from the Maple Island Boat Launch on Tuesday, Aug. 4.
The investigation began when the father of one of the missing women found her car at the boat launch with the window broken out. No family members have heard from the missing individuals, and police said two inflatable tubes believed to be theirs have been located.
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Search teams also found footprints that are being evaluated as part of the investigation, police said.
Brent Kovalcik, the father of the missing 9-year-old, expressed his frustration as authorities continue to search for the three.
“I can’t figure out for the life of me why you wouldn’t tell your endpoint, you know?” Kovalcik said on Friday. “Like, where were you planning on being? We knew that you started here, but where were you going after that?”
“I don’t know if they’re alive, I don’t know if they were kidnapped, I don’t know if they’re down the river, far, far away,” Kovalcik continued.
State police are asking the public to avoid the area as search operations continue and noted it will seek the public’s assistance if needed.
In the meantime, police are asking anyone who may have spotted the three individuals or has any information that could assist investigators to reach out to the Michigan State Police Hart Post at 231-873-2171 or the Newaygo County Sheriff’s Office at 231-689-7303.