SINGAPORE: In a dramatic rescue on Wednesday (Dec 26) lasting nearly an hour, members of the public banded together to save a kitten trapped between grilles more than five metres above the ground outside Waterway Point in Punggol.
A crowd had gathered outside the mall at about 9.40pm after people heard meowing coming from the the grilles.
Security staff from Waterway Point were alerted to the trapped kitten and contacted a contractor, who brought a ladder and attempted to reach it, but was unsuccessful.
Mr Nicholas Lim, 31, who works in the People’s Association, turned up at the scene after being alerted to the incident via a post in a Facebook group. There, he found others had begun a coordinated rescue effort.
Mr Kim Hock, a 43-year-old hospital worker, had located a ladder nearby that was tall enough to reach the kitten.
The kitten stuck between grilles while Hasan (left) and Nicholas Lim attempt to rescue it. (Photo: Ian Cheng)
At the time, Mr Hasan Md Ashik, a 29-year-old foreign worker from Bangladesh, was waiting for his transport nearby. He noticed the crowd and offered to help, scaling the tall ladder to reach the kitten.
“When I saw a crowd, I thought there were snacks there, but when I asked someone, she said it was a cat,” said Mr Hasan.
“I thought about how to save it and I wanted to ask someone about it. When I finally saw the ladder, I thought that I needed to do it now, and decided to save it.”
Aided by Mr Lim, who also climbed up the ladder to force the grilles open, Mr Hasan was able to reach the kitten and carry it down to safety.
The crowd cheered and clapped for the rescuers while the kitten was swaddled in a cardigan provided by Ms Lyn Zulkifli, 36, a customer service officer from Waterway Point.
(From left) Ms Syarifa Hassan, Mr Nicholas Lim, Ms Lyn Zulkifli, Mr Hasan Md Ashik and Mr Kim Hock, who were instrumental in the rescue of the kitten. (Photo: Ian Cheng)
“Humans can have a good side, you know,” said Mr Lim, who runs a Facebook page called Carpurrdiem, a group that rescues cats.
“A foreign worker saved the kitten. No human is higher or lower in social status; we are all the same.”
Student Samantha Chng, who witnessed the entire ordeal, offered to foster the kitten.
“It was very touching witnessing everyone helping out to rescue the kitten,” said the 22-year-old. “It was really harmonious. Since it’s Christmas, it’s like she’s a Christmas miracle.”
She brought the kitten to the vet immediately and plans to continue taking care of the kitten for the time being.
