It took dish soap, hand tools and the Jaws of Life to free a raccoon stuck in a storm drain in Rostraver Township, Pennsylvania.
Firefighters in the suburban township were called just before 10 a.m. earlier this week after a resident had already tried to help by wetting the raccoon down and using a small amount of Dawn dish soap to help it slip through the grate opening.
“They tried a few of those things, but nothing ultimately worked,” Rostraver Township Police Chief Scott Sokol told the Mon Valley Independent.
Police, fire department crews and the township’s public works department all joined the rescue effort.
Using the Jaws of Life, a hydraulic tool that cuts through metal, along with other hand tools, crews cut away enough of the grate to free the animal.
“They were able to get the grate out with him inside, cut it away and eventually freed it,” Sokol said. “As soon as it was free, it took off running.”
Sokol said the raccoon appeared calm during the rescue and did not hiss or growl.
He said he believed the animal climbed into the storm drain and got stuck while trying to climb back out.
“It was an odd call,” Sokol said. “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.”
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