On Sunday, August 12th at 7:37pm, Marinette County Dispatch received a call of three tubers that had overturned and become lost on the Peshtigo River in the Town of Stephenson. One of the three tubers became lost in a wooded area after trying to find their way out and was located by the first arriving deputies. Town of Stephenson Fire, Crivitz Fire, and Crivitz Rescue responded with deputies to the scene. Prior to arrival, the Marinette County Sheriff’s Office activated the drone team and requested additional help from the City of Marinette Drone Operator to search the area. Upon arrival and after deploying the drone, the two remaining tubers were located after about six minutes of searching. The operators assisted the fire department with the location of the tubers, and using the spotlight feature on the drone, they could successfully locate and load up the tubers, bringing them all back safely. The Marinette County Sheriff’s Office received assistance from several other departments, including the Village of Crivitz Fire Department, the Town of Stephenson Fire Department, Crivitz Rescue, and the City of Marinette Police Department.

We are grateful for the generosity of Faith Lutheran Church in Marinette, who made donations to purchase the Marinette County drone and spotlight, enabling us to have this equipment to assist in situations such as this.