What would you think if you saw someone hanging over an interstate ramp? You’d probably suspect they were suicidal, and so did a witness who contacted the Arizona Department of Public Safety. But the story took the sweetest twist, as the officers literally went catfishing for a kitten stuck in a dangerous position. Somehow, it all worked against all odds!
Man Tries to Save Kitten Stuck Under a Busy Interstate
Someone alerted the Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) about a possibly suicidal man leaning over the edge of an extremely busy interstate ramp. In fact, this ramp between Santan Freeway (Loop 202) and Price Freeway (Loop 101) in Tempe is so busy there are plans to add two lanes in each direction.
Afer arriving, troopers got an unexpected surprise: the man was just trying to help a stranded kitten! Somehow, the tiny white and tabby girl had managed to get on top of a support pillar beneath the ramp. She must have fallen somehow, and the man was apparently doing his best to save her.
Unfortunately, the precious position was out of reach even for local firefighters. So trooper improvised, going catfishing with a bucket of all things. On the surface, one would never expect such a plan to work. And yet, miraculously, it did!
Images via Instagram/AZDPS
Catfishing for a Kitten with a Bucket?
First, the troopers stopped all traffic. Then, they improvised when a Good Samaritan offered the bucket with a rope attached to the handle. Then, the trooper lowered the bucket down to the frightened kitten’s position.
Incredibly, the desperate attempt at catfishing worked! So many things could have gone wrong, but the kitten seemed to instinctively know the bucket was her ticket out of danger. She jumped head-first inside all on her own. Miraculous!
“After a few minutes of sniffing out the situation, the kitten finally hopped into the bucket headfirst. The troopers quickly hauled the bucket back up to safety, finding the kitten hungry but seemingly uninjured. After giving the kitten a ride off the highway, troopers transferred it to the care of the good Samaritan,” the AZDPS shared.
Despite being scared, the kitten remained inside the bucket as the trooper raised her to safety. All the way to the top, her tail wiggled in the air. Catfishing success (see video below)! The trooper was so excited when the plan worked that he raised his arm in a gesture of triumph! Meanwhile, inside the bucket, the kitten was “seemingly uninjured,” but hungry. It’s unclear how long she had been there.
And best of all, the very same Good Samaritan who offered the bucket is the one who adopted the kitten on the spot!
“The Good Samaritan who provided the rope and bucket adopted the kitten,” AZDPS confirmed with the Dodo.
Was this the same person who was seen near the edge of the ledge? We don’t know for sure, but we hope so!
Video via Instagram/AZDPS
Online, others said they had similarly adopted kittens saved from the side of the interstate. We have shared many such examples ourselves!
“One of my kittehs (now passed on) was rescued from the freeway by a couple of detectives coming back from an investigation. They named her I-10,” said Gail A.
“AZDPS is the best when it comes to rescuing animals on the freeway,” said Kristen S.
“It happens more often than people realize!” replied FOP Grand Canyon State Lodge 32.
Even though people often rescue cats near highways, there aren’t many examples like this one -catfishing with a bucket? One might not believe it unless they saw it with their own eyes!
