Bluffton, SC – Just after 8 a.m. on Sunday, December 7, Bluffton firefighters responded to assist law enforcement and animal services with a distressed cat trapped in a drain pipe behind Kroger on Towne Drive.

Captain Joey Dembeck, FF-II Carter Dzieciolowski, and FF-II Nicholas Biangone quickly worked to free the feline. Using a rope and pike pole, the crew successfully brought “Midnight” safely out of the pipe.

Bluffton Police Department officers Corlett and Dorta assisted in the rescue, though Midnight was not easily persuaded to go into custody for a warmer hideout. The cat remains independent and wary.

This incident marks the second feline rescue in Bluffton within a week, following a previous operation to remove a cat from the undercarriage of a vehicle.

Officials praised the collaboration between firefighters, police, and animal services, noting that Midnight’s safety was the result of coordinated teamwork and swift action.

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