A Jacksonville man was rescued Wednesday after being found buried shoulder-deep in mud on a mining property in Putnam County.<\/p>\n
Andrew Giddens, who had been missing since mid-February, was discovered in critical condition and flown to a trauma center for treatment.<\/p>\n
His vehicle had been found abandoned three days earlier, leading to a missing person\u2019s report.<\/p>\n
Family and friends informed authorities that Giddens was struggling with depression following a recent breakup and had not been heard from since Feb. 14.<\/p>\n
Employees at Vulcan Materials Company continued to search the expansive grounds until an employee spotted Giddens stuck near a borrow pit.<\/p>\n
Giddens had sunk so deep into the mud that he was positioned below the level of the surrounding grass, which officials said made him nearly camouflaged.<\/p>\n
Though the employee was able to speak with Giddens, the ground was too unstable for the worker to reach him.<\/p>\n
The rescue operation involved members of Putnam County Fire Rescue, Palatka Fire Department, Melrose Fire Department and Clay County Fire Rescue.<\/p>\n
Responders initially attempted to pull Giddens out using ropes but shifted to a technical rescue due to the instability of the terrain.<\/p>\n
To create a safe workspace and prevent themselves from sinking, crews laid down ladders, backboards and pallets to distribute weight across the mud.<\/p>\n
Rescue crews successfully extracted Giddens around 8:30 p.m.<\/p>\n
He was immediately transported by air ambulance to a trauma center in critical condition.<\/p>\n
The Putnam County Sheriff\u2019s Office stated that no charges are being considered against Giddens due to his mental health.<\/p>\n
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