Andrea Huntley's first experience fishing on the Baldwin River turned into an emergency situation as she got lost in the swamp trying to find her way back to her truck.
Courtesy Photo/Andrea HuntleyCHERRY VALLEY TWP. — For those who know the thick dense woods and tangling swampland in Cherry Valley Township and surrounding area, it can be very tricky to maneuver.
When Andrea Huntley, who's evening Friday fishing trip on the Baldwin River turned into a harrowing experience ending up miles away on foot from where her truck was, the first sign of rescuers early Saturday morning was a great relief.
According to a Lake County Sheriff's Office news release, deputies and their Ferris State University intern were called to a wooded area along Kings Highway about 12:40 a.m. July 16 to search for a missing 34-year-old female, and spotted her truck, but she was nowhere to be found in that vicinity. The search crew began working their way through the woods.
Huntley shared about her experience on a Facebook post with the LCSO tagged in it, and how she gave her dad the exact spot her truck was parked and where she would be fishing, which is her usual practice.
"Carrying my pole, water, some snacks and my pistol, I was planning on doing an evening fish on a river I had never been to," she stated. "Walking in was trying, even during the daylight and with GPS. Thick forest and swamp with deadfall trees, sinkholes that go up to your hip — I navigated these and made it to the river.
"The river itself was awesome. The fish were biting, and I stayed later than anticipated. With my phone battery dwindling I walked up river to the spot where I entered. My phone battery died at the time I exited the river around 9 p.m., but I thought it’s okay, my truck is only about .75 miles to the east, I will find it. As the sun set, I told myself not to panic and headed into the thick forest.
"After an hour of walking, I ended up at a creek that I knew I hadn’t crossed earlier in the day. The skies were getting darker, and it was harder to walk without falling over stumps and falling into deep sinkholes. I just kept going, telling myself again not to panic. My last texts to my dad were me assuring him I would call him when I was off the river, so I knew he was aware of where I was and probably worried.
Huntley described how minutes turned to hours and an "impending sense of dread" overtook her, knowing she would very possibly be spending the night in the swamp with no flashlight, matches nor water, which she lost while stumbling. She felt she was on the verge of a full-on breakdown.
"I felt like I was walking in circles," Huntley said. "Branches were scratching my face and arms, stumps hitting my shins, falls happening more often and getting more dangerous to be exposing myself to the elements as I was already soaking wet. But I had my waders on. I had rain gear. I felt I would be okay if I had to stay until dawn.
"Hours went on and I kept walking. In hindsight, I made many mistakes and should have stayed put much earlier and waited for any help to arrive. I was exhausted. When I got off the river I had already logged 5 miles, and I’m sure at this point I had added another 5 easily. I sat on a log and ate some fresh blueberries and cried to my mother's spirit, asking for guidance and help."
Then, soon after, there were signs of hope.
"Mere minutes later I heard sirens blare through the thick night air and I cried out in relief," Huntley said. "I knew that someone was out and they were looking for me. I followed the noises of the sirens and yelled my loudest until my voice was raw. Finally, I heard voices yell back to me.
"It took another hour for me to see the flashlights of the Lake County Sheriff's Office heading my way. The undersheriff, deputy and an intern had hiked through dense swamp and found me. What a relief. Embarrassed as I was, I had never been so happy to see law enforcement. It took us almost an hour to hike out, with the undersheriff stopping every few minutes to check his GPS and readjust. Did I mention how easy it is to get lost in the swamp?"
When the search crew and Huntley made it to the road, they were met by Yates Township Fire Department and Life EMS, who gave her water and asked if she was injured. They dropped her off to her truck, and she was finally on her way home, well after 2 a.m., she described.
"I am so grateful to the men and women who answered the call Friday night and came out to look for me. They didn’t have to do any of that, as I am an adult and technically they have 24 hours to start an investigation into a missing person.
"I am forever grateful to my wonderful dad for making the call and realizing there was something very wrong when I didn’t respond to his texts or calls. Grateful to make it out in one piece, bruised and battered, but a little wiser and way more humble and grateful for our boys in blue," Huntley said.
Huntley shared the lesson she learned in her experience: "Pack a compass, a light, an extra battery block for the phone, and never stay later even if the trout are biting."
Although Huntley was exhausted, she was not injured, according to the LCSO. The LCSO was assisted by Lake County Central Dispatch, Ferris State Intern, Yates Township Fire Department, and Life EMS.
