Source : Perth Now news
Firefighters had to use the ‘jaws of life’ to save a raccoon who got its head stuck in a metal grate.
The furry fiend ended up trapped in a grate covering a storm drain, and crews from the Rostraver Township Fire Department hit the scene after a request for assistant from public works personnel and police.
As reported by the Mon Valley Independent, residents spotted the stuck animal and called for help, before trying to ease the raccoon out with water and dish soap.
Rostraver Township Police Chief Scott Sokol said: “They tried a few of those things, but nothing ultimately worked.”
In the end, the fire department was called, and after removing the storm gate with the raccoon still trapped, rescuers used HURST Jaws of Life and hand tools to cut away enough metal to set the animal free.
Sokol added: “They were able to get the grate out with him inside, cut it away and eventually freed it. As soon as it was free, it took off running.”
He added that the young animal “stayed pretty calm” throughout the rescue mission, and “wasn’t hissing or growling”.
As for how the raccoon got stuck in the first place, it seems it climbed into the drain easily enough, but “came up at a certain angle” trying to get out and “just couldn’t get itself free”.
He said: “It was an odd call. Poor little fella. Nobody wanted to hurt it.
“We wanted a happy ending, and thanks to everyone working together, that’s exactly what we got.”
Rostraver Township Fire Department shared photos of the rescue effort on its Facebook page, and wrote: “RTFD on scene of a Public Service-Animal on Matty Dr. Township Public Works and Rostraver Twp Police Department found a raccoon trapped in a storm grate.
“Firefighters used the HURST Jaws of Life to free the animal back to its natural habitat.”
According to the official HURST website, the company’s Jaws of Life remain “the most trusted name in rescue and extrication”.
They continue: “HURST was the first and only true Jaws of Life. The journey from those first hydraulic tools to today’s connected, intelligent rescue systems is one of relentless innovation, powered by an unwavering commitment to saving lives.”
