Dacula Man Saved After Being Stuck in Ditch Overnight

DACULA, GA -- Rescuers on Wednesday saved a Dacula man who had been reported missing and was later found to have spent the freezing night stuck in a ditch.

Shortly after noon Wednesday, Tim Franklin, of 1725 Drowning Creek Dr., called 911 to report that his brother, Keith, hadn’t been seen since about 8 p.m. the previous night.

Keith was described as a 59 year old with medical issues who, according to a police news release “is capable of caring for himself even though he has a diminished mental capacity.”

A Mattie’s Call was issued and rescuers from multiple agencies, including Gwinnett County Police, City of Dacula Police, Gwinnett County Fire and the state Emergency Management Agency, began a search. Keith’s home, at 1789 Drowning Creek Dr., is near his brother’s.

When Wednesday’s search began, temperatures were in the low 30s, with rain and sleet beginning to fall.

About two hours after the initial call, police say officers searching on foot found Keith face-down in a ditch along the roadway. He was “alive, but in distress from being stuck in the ditch overnight,” the news release said.

Officers wrapped Keith in their jackets to keep him warm as they waited for EMS to arrive. He was taken to AThens Regional Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

(Photos courtesy Gwinnett County Police Department)