Man Rescued After 10 Days Trapped in Mud in Florida

A 36-year-old man from Jacksonville, Florida, was rescued after spending nearly 10 days trapped up to his shoulders in mud at a sand plant east of Melrose, authorities said. Andrew Giddens, who had been missing since Valentine's Day, was found alive but in critical condition on February 23 near a borrow pit at the Vulcan Materials Company site.

Giddens was last heard from on February 14, when he spoke with family members. Friends and relatives later told investigators that he had become depressed following a recent breakup, prompting concerns for his well-being. His abandoned vehicle was spotted that same week by a Putnam County Sheriff's Office deputy who recognized it from a prior trespassing incident at another Vulcan site in 2023. The discovery led to a welfare check and an extensive search of the industrial area.

Rescuers from the Palatka Fire Department, aided by teams from Putnam County Fire Rescue, Melrose Fire Department, and Clay County Fire Rescue's technical unit, located Giddens submerged in a thick, quicksand-like substance that had pulled him below the surrounding grass level, making him nearly invisible from a distance. He had endured several days without food or...