Teen Tries to Rescue Cat in Tree But Gets Stuck, Prompting Rescue: 'Cat Seemed to Enjoy the Commotion'

The 17-year-old teen climbed 35 feet into the tree to rescue the cat on Saturday, according to the Indianapolis Fire Department

Firefighters were called to rescue a teenager who got stuck in a tree while trying to save a cat at an Indianapolis park on Saturday.

A 17-year-old boy named Owen wanted to "do a good deed" and rescue the animal after noticing him 35 feet above in a tree at Holliday Park, according to a Facebook post from the Indianapolis Fire Department.

But after climbing the tree, Owen became stuck, and firefighters were forced to do a rope rescue to save the teen, they said.

"While Owen had no trouble climbing up the tree," the fire department said, "his positioning did not allow the same ease for getting down."

They continued, "Crews were unable to simply utilize an aerial ladder due to the ground being too soft to hold the weight of the truck without it getting stuck."

It took firefighters about an hour to bring Owen to safety. He was then checked by paramedics and deemed "perfectly fine" with only a few scrapes, according to the fire department.

In all it took about 1 hour after Tac Team 14 arrival at Holliday Park to bring Owen down to safety at 6:36 PM
Owen's rescue. Indianapolis Fire Department Twitter

Meanwhile, the feline remained in the tree despite the firefighters' rescue efforts.

"The cat seemed to enjoy the commotion but literally made no effort to climb down the tree," the post stated.

However, commenters mentioned that the cat could have been "frozen with fear."

Rita Reith, battalion chief and the department's spokeswoman, told the AP on Monday that the cat's owner hired a private company to rescue the animal.

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In all it took about 1 hour after Tac Team 14 arrival at Holliday Park to bring Owen down to safety at 6:36 PM
Owen's rescue. Indianapolis Fire Department Twitter

The fire department posted a video and series of photos of the incident on its social media pages "with approval from both Owen and his mother," they said.

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