Indianapolis Teen Left Stranded in Tree After Trying to Rescue Cat

An Indianapolis teen was stranded in a 35-foot tree after trying to rescue a tabby cat. The Miami Herald reported that a teen identified only as Owen had to be rescued by firefighters after climbing the tree located at Holliday Park on Spring Mill Road in Indianapolis to try and help the cat.

On Saturday evening, firefighters were called to the scene.

After spotting the stranded pet and trying to help, Owen told on-scene firefighters he was “trying to do a good deed,” according to a statement posted to Facebook by the Indianapolis Fire Department.

“While Owen had no trouble climbing up the tree—his positioning did not allow the same ease for getting down,” they explained.

Crews found they could not use an aerial ladder because the ground was too soft and was concerned about the engine potentially becoming stuck. Hence, they used a fire engine, and a “rope rescue team” was called in to bring Owen down, the Indianapolis Fire Department said.

The Miami Herald estimates that as many as a dozen people were deployed in the rescue. The entire operation took about an hour.

Before being released, with his parents’ approval, the teen was checked over by an EMS medic.

“Other than a few scrapes, he was perfectly fine,” Indianapolis Fire Department said. “The cat seemed to enjoy the commotion but literally made no effort to climb down the tree.”

The incident comes after a cat rescue involving firefighters a week ago went wrong. The cat tumbled out of the tree with full force and missed the safety blanket.