Firefighters rescued cat and woman from tree

Firefighters in Erie, Pennsylvania, had to rescue a woman from a tree after she tried to rescue a cat on Sunday. Tara Dennis, 21, and the cat, whose name and owner weren't known, made it safely to the ground.

Firefighters used a 28-foot ladder to help Ms Dennis and animal out of the backyard tree. "Normally, we recommend they just let animals come down by themselves," Erie Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Carroll said. He said firefighters responded because a person was stuck in the tree too.



Ms Dennis and other neighbours on that block said they'd heard the cat crying for a couple of days. On Sunday afternoon, Ms Dennis decided to do something. "I love animals," she said. "I couldn't let the cat stay up there." She said she climbed a fence, then onto a garage roof and then "hopped onto the first branch" of the tree.

She estimated she went up more than 40 feet to reach the animal. "I got the cat," she said. "I put it in my shirt." She began coming down but reached a point at which she couldn't go any further. That's when neighbour Marty Tirak called 911. Firefighters responded a little before 1pm and first carried the cat down and then assisted Ms Dennis. Carroll said all were safe.