In Jericho, New York, a female tabby cat found herself trapped in a rainwater drain. Local residents who had heard the animal’s frantic cries called the emergency services.
A team of firefighters was dispatched to help the terrified kitten.
This rescue was the start of a new chapter for the tabby. First retrieved by the firefighter’s team, the moggy was adopted in the process by one of the responders, News 12 of Long Island reported.
The rescue took place in the city of Jericho on Long Island in the state of New York on May 25th, when residents of Hamlet Estates were alerted by a persistent meowing near their homes.
The animal clearly seemed distressed, but the passersby could not tell precisely where the desperate cries were coming from. The noise seemed to originate from the ground.
Stuck in a storm drain
After a quick search, people eventually located the crying feline. Stuck in a storm drain on the side of the road, the kitten had no way of getting out. No one knew how much time she had spent trapped there.
Onlookers tried to help the cat escape from her underground prison but quickly realized they couldn’t manage on their own. The drainage channel was closed by a heavy metallic grille that was firmly fixed, consequently, there was no direct access to the feline.
Besides, the cave seemed more profound than the Hamlet Estates residents had thought.
As a result, they called emergency services for help. Local firefighters from the Jericho Fire Department were dispatched to the scene along with Nassau County Police Department, among them was a woman known as Stephanie.
The firefighters started by removing a portion of the heavy grille and opening the entrance to the storm drain. Then, one went down a ladder and reached the bottom of the drain.
He found the scared kitten and safely brought her back to the surface.
After the rain, the fine weather
The poor kitten was soaking wet when she came out. Shaken and terrified by her ordeal, she looked fragile. The firefighters dried her off and rolled her into a big blanket to warm her up.
Moreover, the cat’s situation improved further. Stephanie, the rescuer, fell for the kitten’s adorable face. The firefighter decided to adopt her on the spot, giving a wholesome ending to an already great story.
On their official Facebook Page, the Jericho Fire department shared the rescue. In addition, the news got relayed on local media channels.