Man rescued after stuck in mud for over a day

A man stuck up to his waist in a muddy riverbank for more than a day was rescued Monday after he was spotted by a passing fisherman.

Rescuers said Anthony Hawkes, 50, was hunting squirrels along the banks of Loosahatchie River north of Memphis on Sunday when he got stuck.

“He said he was praying throughout the night and waving at helicopters and airplanes hoping someone would spot him,” Brent Perkins, spokesman for the Shelby County Fire Department, told The Commercial Appeal. “We’re glad the gentleman survived the night and that no heavy rains came Sunday.”

Hawkes was spotted Monday by fisherman Sowann Chea, who tried to pull the hunter from the mud. Chea called for help and off-duty Shelby County firefighter Jeremy Havlik was among the first to respond.

“In my 28 years with the department I’ve only seen an incident like this three times,” said Shelby County Battalion Chief Robert Smith.

Smith said it took 11 firefighters about 30 minutes just to reach Hawkes, who was 2,000 feet off the road in a densely wooded area.

Video shot from a helicopter by WMC-TV showed rescuers supported by tree limbs and ladders digging and pulling for several minutes to free Hawkes’ lower body from the riverbank.

Hawkes was treated at the Regional Medical Center in Memphis but did not have any serious injuries and has since been released.

“He’s just worn out,” Havlik told WMC. “He hasn’t eaten; he’s been down there fighting that mud for 24 hours. He was physically exhausted.”