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A father and son stranded barefoot and soaking wet in a mudhole in the Florida Everglades were rescued Thursday night, when deputies spotted the fire they had lit to stay warm.
The men got stuck in the mud in the Big Cypress National Preserve when their ATV ran out of gas, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office said. With night approaching, the men called 911 for help.
“My four-wheeler ran out of gas,” the father told the 911 dispatcher. “We got stuck in a mudhole, and now we’re just here stranded. Pretty far and almost out of water with my son.”
The preserve is a vast swamp that stretches 729,000 acres across multiple counties.
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Rescuers spotted the men waving near the fire they had started to keep warm. (Collier County Sheriff’s Office)
The father said he and his son both lost their shoes in the mud and were barefoot. He was also concerned about approaching wildlife as night began to fall.
“But the sun’s going down and the alligators are hungry, buddy,” he told the dispatcher, per WMGT-TV.
Rescuers hoisted the two men to safety. No injuries were reported. (Collier County Sheriff’s Office)
Deputies said the men were soaking wet and started a fire to keep warm.
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The sheriff’s Aviation Bureau launched a helicopter and tracked the men’s coordinates. They spotted the fire the men had started and saw the duo waving at the helicopter.
The father and son said their ATV had gotten stuck in the mud and ran out of gas at Big Cypress National Preserve on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025. (Collier County Sheriff’s Office)
Video released by the sheriff’s office shows the father and son being hoisted to safety. The sheriff’s office added that the men extinguished the fire upon their rescue.
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No injuries were reported.
“This is another example of CCSO’s great training put into practice and the success that comes from seamless partnerships,” the sheriff’s office said.