Four members of the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office were honored after a missing-driver call turned into a river rescue in southwest Michigan.

According to WSBT 22, citing a Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office release, Deputy Jason Erickson, Deputy Cody Bingaman, K9 Charlie, and Sergeant Larry Weers were recognized at the Van Buren County Board of Commissioners meeting on May 12, 2026.

The recognition followed their actions on April 17, 2026, after Deputy Erickson responded to a report of a suspicious abandoned vehicle in a residential backyard. WSBT reported that the vehicle was registered out of Jackson.

After interviews raised concern that the driver may have been experiencing a medical emergency and wandered away from the vehicle, Sergeant Weers deployed the sheriff’s office drone while Deputy Bingaman and K9 Charlie began searching on the ground.

K9 Charlie tracked from the vehicle toward a nearby river as the drone’s infrared system helped search the area, according to the report.

Deputy Bingaman and K9 Charlie located the 79-year-old driver in the river. WSBT reported that Bingaman entered the water, pulled the man to safety, and deputies coordinated with medical personnel so he could receive emergency treatment.

Deputy Erickson and Sergeant Weers received the Sheriff’s Award of Excellence. Deputy Bingaman and K9 Charlie received the Life Saving Award, according to the local report.

The case is a reminder that a successful rescue often depends on several pieces of law-enforcement work coming together: a deputy asking the right follow-up questions, a supervisor getting technology in the air, a handler trusting his K9, and responders moving quickly when the missing person is found.

Sources

ThinBlueNews will update this story if additional official information becomes available.