Emergency crews early Monday rescued a homeless man who said he was trapped inside a southwest Houston manhole for several days.

Workers first spotted the man just before 2:30 a.m., while doing repairs in the area, off of the 12100 block of Beltway 8, near Dover, according to a news release from the Houston Fire Department.

It took fire ighters about an hour to get the man out of the hole, which was between 10 and 12 feet deep, according to the news release.

Firefighters used a harness to enter the hole and bring the man to safety.

The man -- who was living under a bridge in the area -- initially told first responders he had been stuck inside of the manhole for six days. Then, he said it had been since Friday, said HFD spokeswoman Sheldra Brigham said.

Regardless of the specifics, the man was underground for "a couple of days," Brigham said.

It was not immediately clear how the man found his way into the hole. Several nearby manholes were missing their covers. High grass may have obscured the uncovered manholes, according to the news release.

Authorities did not clarify Monday afternoon whether the hole the man was found in was covered.

The man was taken to an area hospital with a possible broken foot, Brigham said.

Authorities did not release his name early Monday.