Published: October 14, 2008 12:30 pm         

Effingham firefighters to the rescue — of a kitten

Aren’t firefighters supposed to rescue cats trapped in trees?

Luckily, Effingham Fire Department made an exception for one fortunate feline early Monday afternoon.

Four firefighters responded to a call around noon about a stray kitten trapped in a drainpipe in front of a Servpro building on Front Street, directly behind the Effingham Daily News building.

Effingham resident Glenda Hearyman said she called the fire department after other attempts to rescue the kitten failed.

She first heard the kitten trapped in the drainpipe Sunday when she went to feed a group of stray cats that live in the area. She put a thin rope down the drainpipe, hoping the kitten would climb out on his own.

After returning Monday, Hearyman heard the kitten “pitifully wailing.”

“It’s a terrible thought that he might be in there and die,” Hearyman said while watching the firefighters dig up the drainpipe. “I tried calling animal control first, but they were closed (for Columbus Day). These guys (firefighters) are just so nice to do this. “

After the firefighters dug up and removed the 3-to-4-foot-long pipe, a tiny black-and-white kitten lay disheveled in the pile, dirt matted all over his fur.

The kitten was visibly weak and frightened, but also moving and making noises. Hearyman took the kitten, who looked to be less than two months old, back to her home to nurse him back to health.

Capt. Bob Hoffman said it’s not completely unusual for animals to get trapped in drainpipes, but they usually rescue themselves by finding their own way out.

Firefighter Dan Klepzig, who pulled the kitten out of the ground, said the kitten could not have climbed out of so deep a hole.

Cats don’t have to worry about getting trapped in that particular drainpipe any longer. The firefighters covered up the top with a jar before burying the drainpipe back in the ground. They were on scene for 18 minutes.

Angie Faller can be reached at 217-347-7151 ext. 131 or angie.faller@effinghamdailynews.com.