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.

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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.