Firefighters in Massachusetts pulled a man to safety after he got stuck chest-deep in the thick mud of a drained pond Sunday morning, authorities said.
The rescue happened in Springfield at Watershops Pond. It was unclear how the man became trapped in the mud.
MAN FOUND CLINGING TO CAPSIZED VESSEL AFTER 24 HOURS LOST IN WATERS OFF FLORIDA
Images from the scene show Springfield Fire and Emergency Services crewmembers place ladders on the ground to help their footing in the slippery mud and use ropes to send a sled to the trapped man.
Local officials have urged residents to avoid the area due to its current condition. Commissioner B.J. Calvi told WWLP-TV on Monday that it took over four hours to rescue the man.
“He was trapped in the mud up to chest level,” Calvi said. “It took 75 man-hours to free him from the mud.”
No firefighters were injured during the rescue.
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The city has been gradually drawing down the pond to prepare for an estimated multimillion-dollar flood control project set to begin next year, Springfield-based newspaper The Republican reported.
