A wanted fugitive who fled into thick Florida woods ended up calling for help after getting trapped on a peninsula, leading to an unusual water rescue by Flagler County deputies using a borrowed canoe to bring her into custody Thursday evening.

Trespassing Call Turns Into Manhunt

Deputies from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office responded Thursday afternoon to a trespassing complaint at a self-storage facility on Airport Road in Ormond Beach. When law enforcement arrived, 28-year-old Tiffani Driggers immediately ran into nearby woods. Authorities confirmed she had an active fugitive warrant from Walton County for felony violation of probation. Deputies launched an extensive search using K-9 teams and the sheriff’s office drone unit, while the Volusia Sheriff’s Office deployed its Air One helicopter to assist from above.

Despite the multi-agency search effort involving advanced technology and trained tracking dogs, Driggers managed to evade capture throughout the afternoon. The wooded terrain provided enough cover for her to remain hidden from ground units and aerial surveillance. Deputies eventually suspended the active search as darkness approached, though they remained alert for any reports from the surrounding residential area.

Desperate Plea From Across the Water

Hours later that evening, a resident on Windsong Court contacted authorities after hearing a woman calling for help from a wooded peninsula near the earlier search location. Deputies responded and established voice contact with Driggers across a canal. She told law enforcement she was exhausted from hours of hiding in the woods, could not swim across the water, and believed she had injured her ankle during her flight from authorities.

While deputies requested assistance from the agency’s Marine Unit, a nearby homeowner offered an immediate solution by providing a canoe. Two deputies paddled across the canal, located Driggers on the peninsula, and transported her back across the water. Volusia County Fire Rescue personnel evaluated her condition at the scene before deputies took her into custody without further incident.

Swift Justice After Creative Rescue

Authorities transported Driggers to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where she was held without bond on the fugitive warrant. Sheriff Rick Staly publicly thanked the residents who assisted in locating Driggers and provided the canoe that made the water rescue possible. He emphasized that his department will use whatever resources necessary to apprehend fugitives. The case demonstrates how community cooperation and creative problem-solving by law enforcement can successfully resolve dangerous situations where suspects attempt to evade arrest by fleeing into difficult terrain.