{"id":5976,"date":"2025-10-03T18:07:15","date_gmt":"2025-10-03T22:07:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/betsiecurrent.com\/?p=5976"},"modified":"2025-10-03T18:07:20","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T22:07:20","slug":"disaster-averted-rescue-at-sleeping-bear-dune-climb","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/betsiecurrent.com\/index.php\/disaster-averted-rescue-at-sleeping-bear-dune-climb\/","title":{"rendered":"Disaster Averted"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The importance of being prepared at Sleeping Bear Dunes<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

By Aubrey Ann Parker
Current Editor<\/strong>

On Tuesday, August 13, around 3 p.m. in the afternoon, Russ Patterson and his son, Brody (16), of Frankfort set off from the parking lot of the Dune Climb in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. They planned to hike to Lake Michigan for a swim and then hike back to the truck\u2014a three-mile round trip across five big dunes that generally takes about three hours, which they had done several times before.

Only this time, the trip would not be quite so smooth.

\u201cWe were probably 15 minutes away from Lake Michigan when we passed these two guys,\u201d Russ says. \u201cAt that time, they asked if we had any extra water. So we gave them some of our water and recommended that they turn around; we wished them luck getting back to the parking lot, didn\u2019t think too much more about it, and went on our way.\u201d

The Pattersons made it to the big lake and swam for about 20 minutes in the cool waters on that hot, 80-degree day.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn our way back, about halfway between the lake and the parking lot, we ran into them again,\u201d Russ says. \u201cThey were at the foot of the steepest climb, and we could tell they were really in trouble now.\u201d

Brody agrees:

\u201cMy dad and I were like, \u2018Oh no, that\u2019s not good,\u2019 \u00a0to see them still walking, because they were going real slow, and they looked really dehydrated.\u201d

The two men were Ryan and Chad from Cincinnati, Ohio. This was their first time visiting Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and they had set out on this hike after having watched a video on Tik-Tok that had made the journey from the Dune Climb to Lake Michigan look easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not So Easy<\/strong>
According to the Park\u2019s website, however, \u201cthis is the most strenuous hike in the Lakeshore.\u201d Recommendations are two liters of water per person, salty snacks, footwear, sunscreen, sun protection, a plan, and a buddy.

By this point, Ryan and Chad had been out for about four and a half hours with very little fluids and no food, and Ryan\u2019s heart was racing. They had brought only a small bottle of water with them, and it was completely drained. Both men were very pale.

\u201cWe asked if they wanted us to walk back with them,\u201d Russ says, to which Chad responded, \u201cYes, yes, please, my friend is scaring me.\u201d

The Pattersons gave the Ohioans fruit chews for a bit of nutrition and the remaining fluids that they had brought for their own hike. At this point, Brody\u2014a junior on the Frankfort High School cross country team who also plays U16 AA travel hockey out of Traverse City\u2014said:

\u201cHey Dad, do you have any money in the truck? Give me the keys; I need to run back to the parking lot and get these guys something from the vending machine; some drinks, some salt, some electrolytes. They\u2019re in trouble.\u201d

While Brody ran off, Russ stayed with the pair, and they continued to walk about 20 steps at a time, slowly working their way up the big climb in front of them, then the next one.

At one point, Ryan, who was struggling the most, turned to the others and said, \u201cI think we need to call 911.\u201d

Only\u2014as most of us locals know about the shoreline\u2014nobody had reception to get a call out.

Fortunately, Russ was able to get a text to his wife, Victoria, who immediately called 911 and filled them in. Emergency services put her in touch with Park Ranger Nate Mazurek, who then called Russ\u2014and, thankfully, that call was able to come through, despite the shoddy cell service that goes in and out along the hike.

Mazurek asked Ryan if he needed to get emergency equipment, like an all-terrain vehicle (ATV), onto the dunes to get to them and give him a ride back to the parking lot.

Chad and Ryan were worried about the costs associated with calling in the rescue services, and they wanted to keep trying on their own for a little while; by the time that Mazurek called back a second time to check in, Brody had returned with supplies, so Ryan responded:\u00a0

\u201cI\u2019m feeling much better. I think I can make it out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sleeping
Park Ranger Nate Mazurek (left) with 16-year-old Brody Patterson. Photo by Russ Patterson.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Brody\u2019s Journey<\/strong>
\u201cI was jogging up the steeper hills, and then I would fast jog or even sprint down the hills and in the flat places,\u201d Brody says of his trek to the parking lot. \u201cIt was tough on the hills, I would walk, but I didn\u2019t want to stop to take breaks, I just kept moving. I got to the truck, sped over to the vending machines, and picked up a red Powerade, a lemonade, and a water. I also grabbed a trail mix, because of the salt in it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At this point, Brody had to face the steep Dune Climb\u2014a \u201c284-foot-high wall of glistening white sand,\u201d according to the Park\u2019s website\u2014which he says he \u201cspeed-walked\u201d up.

\u201cAt the top, I actually drank the bottle of water, because I needed it,\u201d Brody says. \u201cThen I jogged again, because the first part is pretty flat, then jogged up to the top of the first hill, down another, and I saw my dad at the top of the next hill. He was looking for me at this point, and I was gassed; I didn\u2019t have much left in me. So I tossed him the stuff, and he ran to give it to them.\u201d

Chad and Ryan drank nearly all of the Powerade and lemonade, while sitting.\u00a0

\u201cI could see immediately that they were getting their health back, that they were more hydrated,\u201d Brody says, \u201cAnd they seemed more calm and happy. Then we started to slow-walk back, about 25-50 yards at a time. We\u2019d sit down in the shade, and they\u2019d drink some more of whatever we had left.\u201d

This is when the second call from Ranger Mazurek came in.

\u201cThey both said, \u2018We\u2019re good, we\u2019ve got drinks in us, we feel a lot better,\u2019\u201d Brody says.

On the way back down, the Pattersons were telling the Ohioans jokes and stories, to keep their minds occupied. Ranger Mazurek had been driving across the county to get to them, and he called a third time to say that he was getting close to the parking lot, while the foursome were about 15 minutes from the Dune Climb; Mazurek got out of his vehicle just as the group was getting off the dunes.\u00a0

Mazurek checked on Ryan, who expressed that he was embarrassed, that he couldn\u2019t believe it had happened; Chad, meanwhile, grabbed some more beverages from the vending machine for himself and his friend. It had been nearly six hours since they had first left the parking lot.

\u201cIt was just me today,\u201d Mazurek later told the Pattersons. \u201cI don\u2019t know if we could even have gotten the ATVs up there. You basically did my job for me, running those supplies up to them. It sounds like they were close to heat stroke and exhaustion, that they were unprepared and in serious trouble. We would have considered this to be a Priority 1 situation, and I would have hiked up there and waited with them for emergency medical responders.\u201d

Later that day, Mazurek texted Russ:

\u201cI want to thank you and Brody again for the help you both provided to Ryan and Chad. Your decision to get involved definitely made a huge difference and was crucial for the positive outcome. Ryan and Chad were very grateful for your help and are certain Ryan would\u2019ve left in an ambulance if they hadn\u2019t met you. Good work!\u201d

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore superintendent Scott Tucker says:

\u201cLooking at the notes from what transpired that day, [Ranger] Nate [Mazurek] basically said, \u2018This kid had his head square on and was the hero of the day.\u2019 The quick actions he and his father took saved a full response that would have included firefighters from the Glen Lake Department, as well as Lakeshore employees; it could have turned into a lengthy search and rescue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Safety Measures<\/strong>
In recent years, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore has welcomed around 1.6 million visitors annually; obviously the majority of these people are coming from out of town, given the relatively small population in our region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sleeping
Chad (left) and Ryan (right) of Ohio got into trouble on the hike from the Dune Climb to Lake Michigan when they did not bring enough water, so 16-year-old Brody Patterson (center) ran back to the parking lot and got supplies from the vending machines\u2014close to three miles for him, round trip. Chad and Ryan almost immediately felt better, as can be seen by the smiles on their faces in this picture. Park rangers say that the Frankfort High School cross country runner helped to avert potential disaster that day. Photo by Russ Patterson.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So how does the Park try to get the word out to visitors who might not know about the potential dangers, like attempting to hike from the Dune Climb to Lake Michigan without enough supplies?

\u201cBrody and I have done this hike many times,\u201d Russ says. \u201cWhen we got to the top of the Dune Climb this time, though, there was a person at the top in a bright yellow shirt with a clipboard. She said, \u2018Hey guys, it\u2019s a hot day. Do you have enough water? What\u2019s your plan?\u2019 She was advising people on what to do, and I have never seen that before.\u201d

This woman was a volunteer with the Preventative Search and Rescue program, which began in 2014 via the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes. At that time, there were 31 search-and-rescue missions and 56 calls to 911 at the Dune Climb and the Lake Michigan Overlook at Pierce Stocking Drive between Memorial Day and Labor Day.\u00a0

With summer not yet over, stats for this year are not quite complete, but between that same time frame in 2023, there were only 11 search and rescues and seven calls to 911 from the Dune Climb and Pierce Stocking Drive, which is a significant reduction. Moreover, four of last year\u2019s calls were made by PSAR volunteers who had made early contact with visitors, which helped to reduce the time between the incident and when first responders arrived. (It is notable that PSAR volunteers are trained to educate visitors about planning, protective clothing, etc. at these two popular spots, but they are not tasked with search and rescue themselves; that is left to the professionals.)

In 2022 and 2023, PSAR made contact with more than 30,000 Park visitors each year\u2014like the woman in the yellow shirt made contact with the Pattersons that day\u2014and has helped to increase visitor safety and reduce emergency calls. Volunteers educate visitors on trail and water conditions, as well as watching for visitors in need of assistance.

Additionally, the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes have been increasing signage at these more harrowing parts of the Park\u2014in part, thanks to donations from the public.

In fact, just two days after the Pattersons helped Ryan and Chad, MLive <\/em>published an article online titled, \u201cSo what\u2019s the deal with those $3,000 rescues at Sleeping Bear Dunes,\u201d <\/a>which outlines white signs at Overlooks #9 and #10 warning people that, if they go down the 450-feet dune to Lake Michigan at Pierce Stocking and can\u2019t get back up by themselves, they may have to pay up.

Randomly on the same day as Brody\u2019s rescue mission to the Dune Climb parking lot, the Glen Lake Firefighters\u2019 Facebook page <\/a>mentioned that pictures of the Pierce Stocking signs had gone a bit viral, so they were putting out a public safety announcement (PSA):\u00a0

\u201cThanks to social media, it seems these signs located at the top of Pyramid Point, and the Overlooks #9 and #10, are drawing quite a bit of attention once again. So we\u2019re here to attempt to shed some clarity\u2026 rescuing someone from the dunes is a coordinated effort between the National Park Service and [Glen Lake Fire Department]. In order to effectively rescue someone, it takes all on-duty personnel from both stations, as well as several NPS rangers. While we are performing these rescues, we would need mutual aid from outlying areas to respond to our taxpayers, should additional emergencies arise. This is one reason for the rescue charges\u2026 additionally, equipment needed for rescues are expensive, and the sand is very hard on this equipment.\u201d

Rescue costs\u2014of which there are three levels, ranging from around $700 to $2,700, depending on how many people and what equipment are needed\u2014went up in 2019, according to MLive<\/em>, after high water levels made it too difficult to rescue people with a beach cart. For instance, rescuers had to rappel 200 feet down to rescue two people at the Treat Farm Trail in April 2022, and a rescue like that takes a lot of wear and tear on the rope, according to the Glen Lake Fire Department.

\u201cSince putting these signs in place, rescues at [Pierce Stocking] have gone from a daily occurrence during the summer months to less than a weekly occurrence,\u201d the Facebook PSA says. \u201cThis summer, we have responded to the #9 and #10 Overlooks only eight times, with half of those responses involving rescues.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Humble Hero<\/strong>
In all, 16-year-old Brody Patterson did about five miles on the dunes that day\u2014and more than half of that was running, not walking.\u00a0

But as of this interview on Thursday, August 22, he still had not told his cross-country coach, despite that practice started on Monday.

In fact, Brody does not think he has told anyone, until now.

In an age when a Tik-Tok influencer has made the three-hour Dune Climb-to-Lake-Michigan hike look too easy through an unrealistic (over)sharing that convinces two out-of-town Park visitors to undertake it themselves without the proper preparation in place, it is the local teenager who performed a truly heroic and attention-grabbing act of service, yet has not told any of his friends\u2014or his own social media followers.\u00a0

There is more than a dose of irony to this.\u00a0

\u201cHe\u2019s a pretty humble guy,\u201d Russell says of Brody. \u201cHe didn\u2019t feel the need to promote it.\u201d

Meanwhile, Matt Stapleton, principal at Frankfort High School says:

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t surprise me at all that Brody jumped in to help. He is a respectful and well-mannered young man who gets along well with his classmates and teachers. I have seen Brody, on multiple occasions at the school, offer his help or assistance to staff members\u2014including me)\u2014without any solicitation. He is that kind of kid.\u201d

His father agrees.

\u201cFull credit goes to my son for, number one, that he had the calm to say, \u2018Dad, these guys need fluid.\u2019 I\u2019m a proud papa. He came up with that all on his own,\u201d Russell says. \u201cAnd number two, that he had the physical stamina to do that three-mile jog\/sprint. He was pretty damn sore the next couple of days.\u201d

Brody says:

\u201cTwo guys needed help; I just did what I hope anyone else would do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visit FriendsOfSleepingBear.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/PSAR-Volunteer-Job-Description.pdf <\/a>or FriendsOfSleepingBear.org\/Volunteer-Registration\/<\/a> online to learn more about becoming a PSAR volunteer, or contact Jesse Lewit, PSAR coordinator by sending an email to\u00a0jlewit1128@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/em>

Featured Photo Caption: <\/strong>Chad (left) and Ryan (right) of Ohio got into trouble on the hike from the Dune Climb to Lake Michigan when they did not bring enough water, so 16-year-old Brody Patterson (center) ran back to the parking lot and got supplies from the vending machines\u2014close to three miles for him, round trip. Chad and Ryan almost immediately felt better, as can be seen by the smiles on their faces in this picture when they finally made it back to the Dune Climb above the parking lot. Park rangers say that the Frankfort High School cross country runner helped to avert potential disaster that day. Photo by Russ Patterson.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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