DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — A naked woman who was rescued Tuesday from a Delray Beach storm drain told officials she had been trapped there for three weeks.
Fire rescue crews were called to the intersection of West Atlantic and Southwest 11th avenues just before 9 a.m. after a report of a woman stuck in the drain.
Police identified the woman as Lyndsey Jane Kennedy, 43, of Delray Beach, who they learned had been reported missing by her boyfriend on March 3.
A witness told police they were parked on the corner of the street and heard Kennedy yelling for help while stuck in the drain. Once the witness saw the woman she then called the police.
Crews were able to extract Kennedy from the drain and transported her to Delray Beach Medical Center to be treated for dehydration.
Delray Beach Fire Rescue spokeswoman Dani Moschella said the woman was conscious and communicating with firefighters.
Kennedy told police she went for a swim on March 3 in a canal near her boyfriend's home at the Oasis apartment complex in west Delray Beach. This is about three miles from where Kennedy was found Tuesday.
The woman said while swimming she came across a doorway near a shallow part of the canal, which she entered and found a tunnel.
Because of her curiosity, Kennedy said she then followed the tunnel, which led to multiple other tunnels, causing her to become lost.
She told police she walked around the labyrinth of tunnels for about three weeks before spotting some light and saw people walking past her, prompting her to sit in place at that location.
"She mentioned she had been in the storm drain for weeks. We from the police department standpoint find it very hard to believe that she spent that amount of time down there. You need food and water, and so some things don't add up," Delray Beach Police Department spokesman Ted White said.
Police said it's possible for someone to survive that long in the storm drain but are skeptical about it her story.
"She did mention that she found an unopened bottle of ginger ale, and that is what she drank," White said. "We find it hard to believe right now."
Kennedy's mother was later contacted and notified they had found her missing daughter. She told police that Kennedy has a history of mental illness and is a frequent user of illegal narcotics.
The woman's mother also said Kennedy has done other odd things in the past and has a history of "making bad decisions when she is high on drugs," according to the police report.
Police said it does not appear any crime was committed.
Kennedy has been released from the hospital and is recovering at home.
