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A Florida man reported missing on Valentine’s Day was rescued Thursday after being stuck up to his shoulders in mud described as “fast sand” without food or water for several days.
The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said Andrew Giddens, a 36-year-old Jacksonville man, was rescued from a Vulcan Materials Company site east of Melrose.
Giddens had not been seen by his family since February 14 and was the subject of a missing persons report. Family and friends alerted authorities after he became depressed following a recent relationship breakdown, the sheriff’s office said.
The sheriff’s office said on social media that officers found Giddens Thursday “covered up to his shoulders in mud and had sunk below the level of the grass surrounding the borrow pit, rendering him virtually camouflaged.”
The Palatka Fire Department said on Facebook that Giddens “was stuck in the mud for several days without food or water as the area faced freezing temperatures.”
Video of the incident shows officers first struggling to free Giddens using ropes, then using ladders, pallets, wooden planks and other tools to dig him out.
The Putnam County Fire Department, Palatka Fire Department, Melrose Fire Department and Clay County Fire Department all participated in the rescue, photographed Thursday.Putnam County Fire Rescue“In addition, due to the instability of the terrain, responders had to move slowly to avoid sinking,” added the sheriff’s office. After more than two hours, he was finally released Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
The man was able to speak to rescuers but was airlifted to a trauma center in critical condition, the sheriff’s office said.
The Putnam County Fire Department, Palatka Fire Department, Melrose Fire Department and Clay County Fire Department all assisted in the rescue.
Deputies found Giddens’ car abandoned on Feb. 23 and had previously found him breaking into another Vulcan materials company in 2023.
The sheriff’s office said it was not considering trespassing charges against Giddens “due to his mental health.”
“We hope that he can recover from his ordeal, both physically and mentally,” we can read. “We also ask family members and friends to continue to check on their loved ones, especially during times of high stress and anxiety.”
A Vulcan spokesperson said: “Our Vulcan team at the Grandin Sand Plant handled an intrusion situation with care and compassion, guiding first responders to a man in distress. We are grateful for his safe rescue and grateful to the first responders who helped him.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 or go to 988lifeline.org to reach the Suicide & Crisis lifeline. You can also call the network, formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.