Thanks to the intervention of firefighters, the cat was able to find her five babies who had fallen into the sewers. The cat family was then handed over to the local association.
McDonough firefighters in the state of Georgia (southern USA) had to carry out a rather unusual rescue operation for them. They had to rescue a litter of kittens stuck several feet deep in a storm sewer, according to the Henry Herald.
The incident happened at the beginning of June 2022. A resident of a local house was alerted by meowing coming from the hatch. He immediately informed the emergency services, and it was Captain Dale Matias and his team that drove to the scene.
With the help of fellow firefighters Barry Jenkins, Justin Hopper, and Daniel Ward, Captain Matthias lifted the grate protecting the ventilation inlet. He then descended into the latter, reaching a depth of 4 meters before finding 5 kittens and bringing them to the surface. All the little cats seemed to be doing well.
They were comforted, inspected and cleaned. Their mother, who had been waiting for them nearby, was clearly relieved to find them. The family was complete again.
The cat and her kittens were cared for by the Fayette Humane Society. All of them will be offered for adoption.
Marcia Hendershot, director of the Fayette Humane Society, thanked the firefighters for their intervention. They "decided to do their best to help a few kittens while they could do other things in their free time. Their bravery is appreciated," she said of them.
For his part, Barry Jenkins says he's happy he was able to save them. He says that the next day they were called to rescue a dog that was also stuck in the sewer. "Firefighters love helping the community, including our four-legged friends," he concludes.