Stanton County duck hunter pulled to safety after getting stuck in mud

A cell phone, the Stanton County Sheriff’s Office and the Norfolk Fire Department all combined to rescue a duck hunter in distress on Friday afternoon.

Shortly after 12:30 p.m., the 23-year-old man found himself trapped in water and mud the Wood Duck recreation area outside of Stanton. The man had his cell phone readily available and was able to place a distress call, which was fielded by the Stanton County Sheriff’s Department. From there, the Norfolk Fire water rescue team was dispatched.

The first arriving Sheriff’s unit found the hunter in the extreme west portion of the rec area in water up to his waist about 80 yards off the shoreline. A rescue boat was launched by Norfolk Fire and after about fifteen minutes was able to make contact with the hunter in the water and secure him in the boat. He was returned to the shore and declined medical treatment.

It is the third instance of a duck hunter becoming stuck in the muddy ponds of the rec area in the past fifteen years and needing rescue assistance to get out of the water.