Portland firefighters called in plumbers on Sunday to help with an unusual rescue prompted by a plea for help that was answered in six hours.
That's how long it took a squad of firefighters to rescue a kitten who ended up trapped in a basement pipe. No one knows how it got there and it took some creativity and skill to get it out.
The owners of a home at Sandy Boulevard and 118th Avenue called 9-1-1 at 7:35 p.m. on Sunday. They could hear a kitten calling from deep in their basement. Could firefighters help?
A crew arrived and discovered a web of drainage pipes in the basement. The kitten could have been in any of them. They started digging but couldn't locate the cat.
A local plumbing company was called in and with the help of a snake camera a plumber spotted the kitten about 20 feet down a 4-inch pipe. The firefighters blew air on one end of the pipe, coaxing the kitten towards the opening. Six hours later, it emerged safe.
"It was scared and hungry," said firefighter Scott Pearson, "but I'm sure that it was glad to be out of that dark, damp hole."
Copyright 2012 - The Oregonian, Portland, Ore.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
