Emergency responders from Solaize, near the city of Lyon, France received a distress call to rescue a cat trapped inside a car. But unlike most calls for help, this one was made by the cat itself!
It’s not every day you read about a cat making an emergency call for its own rescue. But that’s exactly what happened in France when a cat recently trapped itself inside a vehicle.
Emergency responders receive call from cat
In France, first responders to scenes of accidents are part of the emergency firefighting service - trained medical professionals in the same way as ambulance staff. They just also happen to be connected to the fire brigade.
Around 8pm, emergency medical dispatchers in the city of Lyon received a distress call from a Peugeot 3008. With no human voice on the other end of the line, firefighters were dispatched in case of injured passengers. In fact, it’s not uncommon for emergency medical dispatchers to not hear a voice on the other end of the line, especially with serious accidents.
When the firefighters arrived at the scene they saw the vehicle parked in front of a home. In an odd turn of events, they saw no visible signs of scratches or dents, let alone signs of an accident.
On inspecting the vehicle, the firefighters noticed a cat inside the front compartment. Not an everyday find for the average emergency worker!
It turns out the cat had become trapped inside the car, unbeknownst to its human parents, and couldn't get out. In its attempt to find a way out, the cat managed to press the SOS distress button. Clever!
Automatic distress button
Since 1 April 2018, France requires all new cars to be installed with a geolocated emergency call button, or eCall. The new laws mean that emergency services will be contacted in the event of an emergency, either automatically, when the airbags are triggered for example, or a passenger manually presses the SOS button.
During an emergency call, the emergency dispatchers ask the person/s at the end of the line for the assistance they require. If no one responds, the vehicle is geolocated and emergency help is sent immediately.
In the case of this vehicle emergency, it was neither an accident nor human who pressed the button - just a lone, trapped and anxious kitty.
Luckily for all, the firefighters were able to rescue the kitty and return it to its surprised but grateful parents.
Would you like to see this technology installed in your country?
Source: Le Progrés
Image used for illustration purposes only