Florida man pulled free after getting stuck in ‘quick sand’ like mud for days – National
Andrew Giddens, a 36-year-old from Jacksonville, Fla., was rescued from a Vulcan Materials Company site, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office told NBC News. He had been stuck in a “quick sand” like substance, without food or water for days, authorities said.
Rescue staff work to remove a Florida man who became stuck in a pit of mud-like quicksand.
Putnam County Sheriff’s Office
Giddens was reported missing on Feb. 14 by his friends and family, who raised the alarm to emergency services after he fell into a depression following a breakup, the sheriff’s office said.
Police found Giddens on Thursday “covered to his shoulders in the mud.”
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He had “sunk below the level of the grass surrounding the borrow pit, making him virtually camouflaged,” deputies at the Putnam County Fire Rescue said in a now-removed Facebook post.
“He had been stuck in mud for several days without food or water, while the area faced freezing temperatures,” it added.
Footage of the incident showed rescuers manoeuvring ladders and using ropes, wood pallets and various tools to dig him out.
“Additionally, due to the instability of the ground, responders had to progress slowly so they would not sink,” the sheriff’s office said.
Giddens was freed after a more than two-hour rescue effort at about 8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday and was flown to a trauma centre in critical condition.
Rescue staff work to remove a Florida man who became stuck in a pit of mud-like quicksand.
Putnam County Sheriff’s Office
Putnam County Fire Rescue, the Palatka Fire Department, the Melrose Fire Department and the Clay County Fire Rescue all assisted in the rescue.
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Investigators discovered Giddens’ car abandoned on Monday and had caught him trespassing on another Vulcan Materials Company site in 2023, but said it was not considering charges due to his mental health.
“We hope that he is able to recover from his ordeal both physically and mentally,” the department said. “We also ask family members and friends to continue to check on loved ones, especially during times of high stress and anxiety.”
A spokesperson for Vulcan to NBC News, “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.”
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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