2 Men, 2 Kids Survive Night Alone After Getting Lost In MI Swamp: Sheriff

KALKASA COUNTY, MI — Two men and two 5-year-old kids were rescued Sunday after they got lost in a wooded area in northern Michigan, according to officials.

A woman told officers that she dropped the four off earlier Saturday at the Skegemog Pathway in Kalkaska County for a day of fishing and hiking. They were to meet back up at the Lake Skegemog boat launch around sunset, according to officials.

When the group didn't return, officials said the woman called police and a search and rescue operation began at 12:52 a.m. Sunday, according to officials.

After daylight, the Michigan State Police Aviation Unit and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources joined the search.

Conservation officers then saw campfire smoke along the shoreline on the far southeast side of Lake Skegemog while patrolling in a boat, according to officials.

A Michigan State Police helicopter confirmed there were four people near the shoreline of Lake Skegemog, according to officials.

Officials said conservation officers used their boat to successfully retrieve the two men and two kids from the shoreline. The group told officials that they had gotten lost in the swamp and that their only cell phone had run out of battery.

The group was medically cleared and released, according to officials.

Officials reminded anyone venturing into the wild to carry basic survival supplies, no matter how long you plan to stay.