by April Scheinoha
Reporter
Mike Hron remembers getting the phone call that his son Chase was missing. It was about 8 p.m. June 7, 2019. Chase had gone jet-skiing on Little Vanose Lake in rural Mahnomen County, and his friends couldn’t find him.
Mike and his wife, Stacey, immediately left for Mahnomen County. By the time the Thief River Falls couple got there, the search and rescue team was already looking for their son using water equipment, drones and a heat-seeking helicopter. Mike recalled it was the longest 24 hours of his life. They found Chase at about 5 p.m. the following day. Chase, who wasn’t wearing a life jacket, had drowned.
Chase, 19, was a soft-spoken individual who had a great sense of humor. Many people have told Mike and Stacey that Chase had a twinkle in his eye and a great smile that told you he cared about you.
The Hrons have never forgotten the care and concern shown by the Northeast Regional Water Operations Team. They wanted the public to realize the efforts of NRWOT and the team to realize their efforts are important to families like theirs.
Two NWROT team members who are also paramedics worked with Chase’s older brother, Spencer. They created the GoFundMe account, which raised over $2,600 for the family. The Hrons knew how they wanted to spend the money.
About the team, Mike said, “They were both professional and gracious in handling just a horrible, horrible situation, so we wanted to give it to them.”
The Hron family donated the money to the NRWOT, which used the money to erect flagpoles and a memorial to Chase outside of its Grand Forks, N.D., office. The family raised the American flag in honor of Chase on Wednesday, Aug.