How a Snowmaker Saved a 118-Foot Engagement Disaster

Proposing on the world's longest timber-towered suspension bridge is a high-stakes move. For Trevor Van Camp, the stakes got a little too real this week at Boyne Mountain Resort. Standing 118 feet above the valley floor on the illuminated SkyBridge Michigan, Trevor prepared to drop to one knee for his girlfriend, Danielle Jenkins.

Just as Danielle said yes, Trevor’s "shaken up" hands fumbled the ring. It slipped through the metal bridge grating, vanishing into the darkness and plummeting 118 feet into the deep snow below. The couple spent the next two and a half hours combing the area under the bridge with metal detectors, but as 10 p.m. rolled around, hope was fading fast.

Pat Harper, Boyne’s night shift snowmaking supervisor, wasn't about to let the mountain win this one. After the couple called it a night, Harper stayed out in the elements, methodically scanning the snow near the hydrants. After thirty minutes of searching, his detector pinged. Buried under a layer of fresh Michigan powder and dirt, Harper found the edge of the ring.

The next morning, as the couple was preparing to head home to buy a replacement, they got the call that changed everything. Trevor finally got to put the ring on Danielle’s hand—this time with both feet firmly on solid ground. This 118-foot drop might be the most stressful "line" ever navigated at Boyne Mountain.