Firefighters rescue box of kittens thrown off bridge onto icy Tuscarawas River
PORT WASHINGTON ‒ If cats have nine lives, three stranded kittens used up at least one of theirs after a harrowing experience — stranded on the Tuscarawas River ice.
Shortly before 3:30 p.m. Friday, Tuscarawas County Sheriff's deputies found a box of kittens, which had been thrown off the St. Clairsville bridge, according to a press release from Arrowhead Joint Fire District Chief Steven M. Wright.
That left the kittens in the middle of the river, stranded on deteriorating ice. Mild temperatures had melted plenty of snow and ice in the region.
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Arrowhead crews, called to the scene, determined a water rescue was feasible. Besides, they didn't want bystanders to do anything foolish, like mounting their own rescue.
So, firefighters launched upstream at the Gnadenhutten boat launch and made their way to the bridge in Port Washington, 16 miles southwest of New Philadelphia.
Deputies and humane officers had secured the area. Firefighters navigated the ice. First, they grabbed two kittens who were in the box. Next, they snagged the third kitten, stranded separately on another ice flow.
A short time later, the ice broke up and moved downstream.
All three animals —alive —were delivered to shore and turned over to a humane officer for evaluation and treatment. By 6:38 p.m., three hours later, firefighters had cleared the scene.
Wright used the press release to remind citizens to never go out on the ice to attempt an animal rescue. He said cold water temperatures, current and unpredictable ice movement and thickness can doom an untrained rescuer.
Reach Tim at 330-580-8333 or tim.botos@cantonrep.com On Twitter: @tbotosREP
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Arrowhead firefighters rescue 3 kittens tossed over bridge onto river
