Lindsey Kennedy, 43, who was rescued from a storm drain in Florida on Tuesday, told police she had been trapped in the sewage system for 20 days after deciding to explore a tunnel when she went for a swim in a canal
A naked woman who was rescued from a storm drain in Florida told police she had been trapped for 20 days after deciding to explore a tunnel when she went for a swim in a canal.
Firefighters pulled 43-year-old Lyndsey Kennedy out of the eight-foot-deep drain under a sidewalk in Delray Beach on Tuesday after a pedestrian heard cries for help.
Kennedy later told police that she had been trapped in the sewer system since March 3, when she went for a swim in a canal near her boyfriend’s house, according to a police report.
She explained that she’d spotted a tunnel in the canal and went to check it out before quickly realizing she was lost.
She said she had been walking around the sewer system for about three weeks before she saw some light in the storm drain and settled there because she could see people walking above her.
Kennedy’s mother reportedly told investigators that her daughter had a history of mental illness and drug use.
‘She also stated that Kennedy has a history of doing odd things and making bad decisions when she is high on drugs,’ the report stated.
Firefighters are seen pulling Kennedy out of the eight-foot-deep drain under a sidewalk in Delray Beach on Tuesday after a pedestrian heard cries for help
It’s unclear whether investigators have confirmed Kennedy’s story but they said that she had been reported missing by to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office on March 3.
Delray Beach Police spokesman Ted White on Tuesday said the initial investigation showed no signs of foul play.
‘It doesn’t feel like she was taken against her will. It appears this was done by her own free will,’ he said.
Delray Beach Fire and Rescue posted photos of firefighters lifting Kennedy out of the drain using a harness and ladder.
The photos showed Kennedy, who was mostly covered by white sheets due to her lack of clothing, was dirty, had leaves in her hair and was too weak to stand up.
She was taken to Delray Medical Center for treatment of minor cuts and bruises.
Kennedy also underwent a mental health evaluation after her mother told police about her history of mental illness.
The police report – which described Kennedy as ‘very lucid’ when she was found – said she was not taken into protective custody because she did not meet the criteria under Florida’s Baker Act.
The report also stated that Kennedy is a methadone patient and had her last dose on March 2, the day before she went missing. Methadone is a prescription opioid used to treat addiction to heroin and other narcotic painkillers.
Kennedy said she had been walking around the sewer system for about three weeks before she saw some light in the storm drain (pictured) and settled there because she could see people walking above her
Delray Beach Fire and Rescue posted photos of firefighters lifting Kennedy out of the drain using a harness and ladder
Delray Beach Fire Rescue spokeswoman Dani Moschella expressed shock at the incident, saying Kennedy was lucky to be alive.
‘I don’t know how much longer she would have been okay down there,’ Moschella told the Sun Sentinel.
‘The idea that somebody might be down there for any length of time is disturbing. It’s dirty, dangerous, there’s snakes, rats, garbage, dirt and leaves, anything that’s on the street that washes into a sewer, and it smells terrible.’
Moschella noted that the drain opening was likely too small for Kennedy to have squeezed into from the sidewalk.
‘Firefighters go to storm drain calls a lot,’ Moschella said. ‘We rescue ducklings and kittens and puppies, and this is the first time anybody can remember actually seeing a person down there.’
Cops confirmed that she was reported missing from Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office on March 3, but it’s not clear when she went into the drain or why she was naked
She was later taken to hospital for observation, but wasn’t injured. Paramedics said it was ‘disturbing’ that anyone could be stuck in the drain for any length of time
