In a desperate and ongoing attempt to save a construction worker who became trapped in mud and debris, first responders used their hands, buckets and small tools to keep the man from slipping deeper into the muck, according to the FDNY.  They were finally able to tie a rope around the worker’s chest and anchor it so he couldn’t slip under.

Covered up to his waist, a doctor at the scene told PIX11 that the sheer pressure brought on by the tons of mud can affect circulation, causing blood clots and even stopping blood flow.

The FDNY is still waiting for a vacuum truck to arrive to remove more of the mud.  The man is believed to be a sandhog, one of the workers whose perilous job sends them below the city to blast, dig and tunnel for subway construction projects.

It is too soon to know whether the man slipped and fell in, or whether a barrier may have collapsed — releasing the muck.

His condition is still not yet known.