Ithaca, N.Y. — Ithaca police came to the rescue of a kitten by pulling it out of a storm drain on Wednesday.
The feline faced peril as it struggled to stay afloat six feet below the surface of the storm drain. But Officer Jamie Williamson gave the cat another life when he took a bystander’s purse and used it as a “makeshift bucket” to pull the cat to the surface.
It took about 15 minutes for Officer Williamson, once the purse/bucket had been lowered, to scoop up the cat. He did so on the 600 block of West State Street.
The kitten has been turned over to the SPCA of Tompkins County.
In a press release, IPD Chief John Barber praised Williamson’s work.
“Over the last several months IPD Officers have cooked pancakes for a neglected child, rescued a kitten from a storm drain, and pulled a young woman from jumping off a parking garage,” Barber said.
“…They’ve done this all while handling their other traditional ‘crime-fighting’ responsibilities. We never stop making a difference in our community and yesterday is no different.”