An elderly woman from Cornwall, United Kingdom, fell into a 70-foot ravine and was eventually rescued, thanks to her pet cat’s persistent meowing.
After the woman’s carer reported that she was missing, Bodmin Police started searching for her. One of her neighbors noticed that her cat, Piran, kept meowing in the corner of a large maize field near her home, as if he was trying to bring attention to the area.
As it happens, the cat’s owner was at the scene. Tamar Longmuir, the 38-year-old neighbor, followed the cat’s lead and confirmed that Piran was indeed signaling that his owner was in the area.
The cat was pacing back and forth in the gateway, meowing constantly. Longmuir decided to investigate and searched the maize field.
According to officials, the woman had fallen 70 feet down a steep embankment to a ravine. As the terrain was uneven and incredibly difficult to access, Longmuir had to shout downhill to check on her neighbor’s condition.
Initially, Longmuir’s cattle were the first to react to her calls, and it wasn’t until she heard a faint response that she realized her neighbor had fallen down the 70-foot ravine.
She mentioned that she was about to walk off the path and venture into the crop when she heard the response. She realized her neighbor was down the steep ravine. The woman had fallen through the barbed wire and was lying in the stream, where she remained for hours until she was discovered.
Water rescue specialists were called in, and the woman was lifted to the field on a stretcher through a line rescue. She was then airlifted to the hospital.
As per the police department’s Facebook update, the woman is stable and “in good spirits,” receiving proper medical attention.
“It’s a huge congratulations to all the emergency services who worked together and to Piran,” said an unnamed neighbor to BBC News. “The outcome could have been much worse.”
According to Eleanor Richards, a community support officer with the Bodmin Police, incidents like this are common in the area.
“Cornwall is a relatively rural county, so it is not unusual for us to receive calls for individuals who may need assistance and access can be difficult,” she told Newsweek. “There is a lot of moorland and coastline to deal with, so we work closely with our partner agencies and volunteer organizations to achieve the best possible outcome.”
However, it’s the first time that a feline has ever helped them with their operations!
The woman and everyone involved in the incident are grateful to Piran for playing a significant role in the search.
“Without the cat waiting at the gate to that field, it could have been hours later that I or anyone else would have checked in there,” Longmuir said.
Despite often being viewed as aloof, this incident demonstrates that cats are capable of feeling devoted to their owners.
A 2019 study revealed that cats perceive their owners as a source of comfort and security. In fact, cats can form bonds with their humans that are comparable to human babies and their caregivers.
“These findings are useful for dispelling the myth that cats are unaffectionate and do not feel a strong connection to their owners,” according to NBC News.
Piran clearly shares a strong bond with his owner; she must be a great cat mom. Kudos to this heroic feline for saving the day!
Rewritten Source: https://mypositiveoutlooks.com/cat-kept-meowing-until-neighbors-found-his-elderly-owner-who-fell-down-a-ravine/