“Due to his mental health, no charges are being considered at this time," officials said of the man, identified as 36-year-old Andrew Giddens
Credit: Palatka Fire Department
NEED TO KNOW
- A Florida man who was last seen on Valentine’s Day was recently rescued after being stuck in the mud
- Officials identified the individual as 36-year-old Andrew Giddens, saying he was trapped in mud that mimicked quicksand
- The “trespassing situation” was handled “with care and compassion,” staff at the site where Giddens was located said
A Florida man who went missing on Valentine’s Day was rescued after being trapped in mud without food or water for days.
On Thursday, Feb. 26, the Putnam County Sheriff's Office said Andrew Giddens, a man who had been previously been reported missing from Jacksonville, was found alive after being buried in mud that mimicked quicksand.
In bodycam footage of the rescue that the PCSO shared on social media, Giddens, 36, appeared alert and was able to communicate verbally as deputies approached him at Vulcan Sand Plant just before 5:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday, Feb. 25.
Deputy Derrick Holmes first spotted Giddens' abandoned vehicle on Monday, Feb. 23. He recognized the car and the name on the registration after a "previous encounter with Giddens trespassing in 2023" at a different Vulcan Materials Company property site, police said. Deputy Holmes asked Vulcan to conduct a property search to see if "anything had been disturbed." He also requested the PCSO to do an aerial search of the property; however, Giddens was not found.
Holmes also reached out to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and asked for a welfare check on Giddens' home. That's when Giddens' friends contacted Holmes and "reported he was depressed due to a recent break-up," and that his "last known contact with him was with his father on Feb. 14." The sheriff's office then began filing a missing persons report.
Vulcan kept searching for Giddens and two days after his vehicle was discovered, Giddens was found “shoulder deep in mud close to a borrow pit.”
According to the Palatka Fire Department, he had been stuck in mud for several days without food or water, all while weathering freezing temperatures.
Due to the nature of the mud, it took first responders between two and three hours to rescue Giddens, as they had to be careful not to become stuck in the sinking sand with him, the fire department said.
Rescue teams first tossed a rope to try to pull him out before moving to other methods, bodycam footage showed.
Credit: Palatka Fire Department
Next, first responders, including Clay County Fire Rescue’s Technical Rescue Teams, Putnam County Fire Rescue, and Melrose Fire Department-Florida, brought out ladders to try to reach Giddens.
Around 8:30 p.m., he was finally freed and flown by air ambulance to a trauma center in critical condition, per officials.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“Due to his mental health, no charges are being considered at this time. We hope that he is able to recover from his ordeal both physically and mentally,” the Putnam County Sheriff's Office said.
Per WCJB, Vulcan Sand Plant officials added, “Our Vulcan team at the Grandin Sand Plant handled a trespassing situation with care and compassion shepherding first responders to a man who was in distress. We are grateful for his safe rescue and thankful for the first responders who aided him.”
Giddens is expected to make a full recovery.
If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
Read the full article here
