Texas utility worker finds viral fame for dirty job

ACTON, Texas, Aug. 26 (UPI) -- A Texas utility worker is being praised online after a viral photo showed him submerged head-first in a filthy puddle to plug a burst pipe.

Andrea Adams said she snapped the photo about a week ago when Acton Municipal Utility District worker Jimmie Cox, 23, submerged himself from the waist up in dirty water to plug a one-inch pipe that burst in her yard.

Adams said the photo went viral so quickly she closed down her Facebook account due to the influx of comments, likes, shares and messages.

"I've shut down my Facebook, turned off my email. I had a call from a lawyer in Atlanta that wanted to use the photo," she told WFAA-TV.

Cox said he was surprised by the photo's popularity.

"In this line of work, people do it a lot," he said.

The photo has many online hailing Cox as a hero, including Wrangler Jeans, which promised the worker some free pants.

"Now this is an #EverydayHero. Keep up the good work, buddy, & expect to see some #WranglerJeans coming your way," the brand tweeted.