An inmate who had managed to escape from a psychiatric hospital in Oregon, despite being fully restrained, was apprehended by police after an unusual turn of events. Christopher Lee Pray, who had been labeled a “dangerous escapee,” fled the Oregon State Hospital on Wednesday night, making his getaway in a Dodge Caravan.

On Friday morning, emergency services received a call about a possible deceased individual in a pond near Portland. Fire and rescue teams were dispatched to the scene, only to discover that the person in question was not deceased, but rather stuck in deep mud, approximately 75 feet from solid ground. The individual, who was buried up to his armpits in the mud, was none other than the escaped prisoner, Pray.

Rescue teams spent about an hour extracting Pray from the mud. Following his rescue, he was taken to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center, where he attempted to give a false name. However, a vigilant hospital employee recognized him from descriptions of the escaped prisoner and alerted the police, leading to his arrest.

The pond where Pray was discovered is located roughly 55 miles north of the Oregon State Hospital in Salem. State police expressed their gratitude to the medical staff who identified Pray and promptly alerted the authorities.

The authorities are now investigating how Pray managed to escape from the hospital, despite being restrained with leg shackles, a belly chain, handcuffs, and a connecting restraint. Pray is currently in custody and faces multiple charges, including attempted murder, robbery, assault, and possession of a firearm as a felon in Multnomah County Circuit Court.

Pray had been committed to the Oregon State Hospital in Salem after being deemed unfit to stand trial. According to a statement from Oregon State Hospital spokesperson Amber Shoebridge, Pray somehow managed to gain control of an unmarked hospital vehicle and drove away. Shoebridge also confirmed that a staff member was injured during the incident, but did not provide further details.