FL Man Buried In Mud For Days Found Alive: Sheriff

PUTNAM COUNTY, FL — A Jacksonville man who was last heard from on Valentine’s Day was found alive Thursday after being buried in mud for days, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a social media post.

Andrew Giddens, 36, was buried up to his shoulders in a borrow pit at the Vulcan Materials Company, a sand plant east of Melrose, and had sunk below the level of the grass nearby, making him virtually camouflaged, officials said.

He was stuck in the mud for several days without food or water and in freezing temperatures.

Deputies first found Giddens’ vehicle abandoned near the site on Monday.

Deputy Holmes, who had a previous encounter with Giddens trespassing in 2023 on Vulcan Materials Company property at a different site, recognized the vehicle and the name on the registration, the sheriff’s office said.

Holmes contacted Vulcan and asked them to search the property to see if anything was disturbed.

The deputy then requested that the PCSO aviation unit search the property from the air, but there was no sign of Giddens. He also contacted the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, requesting a welfare check at Giddens’ home.

Giddens’ family and friends contacted Holmes, telling the deputy the missing man was depressed after a recent break-up. His father was the last person to hear from him on Feb. 14.

He was found shoulder deep in the mud by Vulcan employees monitoring the property for signs of him. Giddens was able to talk to the employee, who couldn’t reach him because the ground surrounding him was unstable, the sheriff’s office said.

Several rescue and fire departments responded, including Putnam County Fire Rescue, Palatka Fire Department, Melrose Fire Department and Clay County Fire Rescue.

After an initial attempt to try to drag Giddens out of the mud using ropes, rescuers brought in ladders and other supplies to safely dig him out, the sheriff’s office said. Because of the ground’s instability, responders had to progress slowly so they wouldn’t also sink. Ladders, backboards and pallets were placed along the ground to provide a safe workspace for a technical rescue.

After about three hours, rescuers were able to free Giddens from the muck around 8:30 p.m. He was flown by air ambulance to a trauma center in critical condition.

No charges are being considered at this time, the sheriff’s office said.

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