Australian man survives after being trapped in mud under an excavator for hours

He kept his nose barely above water while the dam ground below him was slowly slipping away

He kept his nose barely above water while the dam ground below him was slowly slipping away

An accident with a happy ending took place on Tuesday, Feb. 7 at a property 180 miles north of Sydney, Australia. Daniel Miller, 45, was riding his 3-ton excavator beside a small dam when its banks collapsed, tumbling the vehicle into a watery pit and pinning him beneath one of the bars attached to the machine. After spending two hours trapped in the mud, having only his nose and forehead above water, a neighbor 500m away finally heard his cries –in between breaths he was somehow able to lift himself up just enough to call for help-. Rescuers had to dig beneath Miller's body to allow him to slide out beneath the bar, as it was impossible for them to lift the excavator due to the unstable dam’s floor.

Miller was determined to survive, thinking about his family the whole time and keeping his back arched like in yoga’s cobra position. "How he kept his back arched with his nose above the waterline was quite incredible for that amount of time", said Steve Howard, Fire and Rescue New South Wales deputy captain, while Miller thanks God it didn’t rain as his nose was grazing the water the whole time. After being rescued, he was taken to a hospital in Newcastle by helicopter where he was treated for minor back injuries and hypothermia.

Source: CNN

Image Capture from youtube

All other photos: Saimaa Miller Facebook