Teamwork leads to rescue of cat trapped in storm drain for three days by UBCO

Photo: Kelowna SPCA

A cat that was trapped for three days inside a storm drain at UBC Okanagan was rescued Saturday thanks to several members of the public, Kelowna Fire Department and City of Kelowna.

Kathy Manuel, a security communications coordinator at UBCO, tells Castanet she received several calls from concerned students Saturday afternoon after they heard meowing near a storm drain.

"I sent a security guard out just to check it out and he could hear the meowing from the drain, but it became complicated because there is a storm drain on both sides of the road so the cat was going between the two," Manuel said.

Manuel says she called the SPCA and Kelowna Fire Department.

"[The firefighters] couldn't really see the cat, they could hear it and manhole was really really deep. They needed the city."

Manuel says City of Kelowna staff also arrived at UBCO to assist.

"The fire truck went to the top manhole, poured their hose into it to flood it and then everybody else at the other end waited for the cat to wash out through the other one and were able to fish him out," she said.

"He was good, cold and wet. We believe he was feral because he was unfixed. He went right with the fireman who grabbed him," she added.

The cat is now in the care of the Kelowna SPCA.

If you recognize him you are asked to contact the SPCA at 250-861-7722.