Southfield firefighters use shop vacuum to rescue cat out of underground pipe
Firefighters used the suction from a shop vacuum to remove a cat that was stuck in an underground pipe on Monday in Metro Detroit.
The Southfield Fire Department shared the story and some photos on its social media, praising the crew that responded to the call for thinking "outside the box" on the animal rescue.
Lt. Kiah, Firefighter/Paramedic Ballew and Acting Driver Engineer Siburt were sent to the scene after getting a report about a cat that was stuck in an underground pipe and crying out in distress.
The crew used the suction on a shop vacuum to then safely pull the cat out of the pipe. That's a heavy-duty vacuum cleaner typically used to clean up wood chips, small debris or water at a work site.
"We're happy to report the cat is doing fine. Great work, guys, and what a purr-fect ending to the story! Oh, and we figured this also answers the age-old question, 'Do firefighters rescue cats?' The answer is YES… They're just not always up trees!," the fire department said.
