A small black and white kitten was safely rescued from an Uber driver’s electric car by Menlo Park Fire District firefighters, after the feline sought refuge under the vehicle. The rescue unfolded near Woodside Bakery & Cafe in Menlo Park and drew the attention of several bystanders.
Uber driver Joel McKinnon, who was on a break parked near the cafe, was preparing to leave when a woman dining outside noticed the kitten slipping under his car. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, she urgently tried to get his attention before he drove off.
“It’s a brand new electric car, and there was very little visibility of where it could have gone,” McKinnon said, explaining the difficulty in locating the kitten. In an attempt to scare the animal out from under the vehicle, McKinnon turned up the volume of his radio and banged on the car’s exterior.
As more people noticed the commotion, a small crowd gathered, and someone quickly called the fire department for assistance.
When firefighters arrived on the scene, they began disassembling panels from the car’s hood in an effort to access the kitten’s hiding place. After some careful work, they successfully extracted the kitten, unharmed.
Photographs from the scene show the wide-eyed kitten gazing up at its rescuers, while relieved onlookers watched the delicate rescue unfold.
In a happy ending to the story, one of the employees from the bakery next to the scene of the rescue decided to adopt the kitten on the spot.
Reflecting on the incident, McKinnon expressed gratitude for the community’s quick action. “It was one of those moments where you can find faith in humanity. I’m very thankful to the lady who spotted it and to everyone who helped, especially the firefighters who made sure the kitten was safe.”
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