LEAGUE CITY, Texas – A missing League City man was found in a manhole crawling with snakes Monday.
League City police said Kevin Gonterman, 25, was last seen at his home on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. after an argument with his girlfriend.
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His mother contacted Texas EquuSearch, which began checking a wooded area near their home.
EquuSearch volunteers found Gonterman in a 30-foot-deep manhole in a field in the 2600 block of East FM 518 Monday morning, 45 minutes after they began their search.
Houston firefighters helped rescue Gonterman from the hole, which was covered with snakes and surrounded by water. Searchers said Gonterman was barely conscious and incoherent when he was brought to the surface.
He was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital for treatment and listed in good condition. Rescuers said he suffered from dehydration and had been bitten several times by snakes.
"He was very fortunate that he was found and now has a good chance at survival," said Frank Black, with Texas EquuSearch. "One of our ATV riders, Robert Powell, noticed that one of the pipes did not have a top on it so he got off, checked it and when he looked down in it, saw the man laying against the wall in it."
Officials said Gonterman is expected to recover.
Gonterman's mother said she believed he fell in the hole as he ran through the woods.
"We know that he'll be able to walk out of the hospital on his own," Black said.