Columbus firefighters must use creativity in the tools to save a life in some rescues — particularly when it comes to a wayward cat.
Two-year-old Molly the cat went on an adventure Tuesday night when she disappeared from a guest room at the Econo Lodge Inn and Suites at 161 Carrie Lane, much to the surprise of her humans, who eventually resorted to calling Columbus firefighters for help.
With the ingenuity of using a leaf blower from Fire Station 5, the eventual rescue of Molly was accomplished … purr-fectly, said Capt. Mike Wilson, Columbus Fire Department spokesman.
The saga of missing Molly began at 9:47 a.m. Wednesday when Florida couple Frank and Nora Rollen called firefighters for help. The cat was in the motel room Tuesday night but was nowhere to be found Wednesday morning.
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The couple was traveling south and decided to stop in Columbus because the Econo Lodge is a pet-friendly motel, they told firefighters.
While searching the room, the couple discovered a small hole in a wall located under a sink. Suspecting that Molly may have entered the hole, the Rollens called out, but didn’t get a response, because, well, she’s a cat.
Columbus Fire Department Engine Co. 5 arrived on the scene and located a small opening in an interior wall separating the sleeping room from the bathroom, Wilson said.
Firefighters peered into the small hole with a flashlight, but were unable to see Molly. Confident that the Molly had entered the opening and was now unable to exit, firefighters consulted with motel management, and firefighters decided to remove a portion of drywall to free the cat.
After removing a 2-foot by 2-foot section of drywall, firefighters could see a portion of Molly tucked behind the bathtub area in an open space, Wilson said.
When crews tried to reach for Molly, in true cat fashion, she moved away from the location where she was first seen, further away from her rescuers. Unable to reach the cat, firefighters asked Nora Rollen to come to the wall opening and call for Molly, Wilson said.
After a few moments, and with Molly likely scared of the firefighter’s attempts to rescue her, firefighters decided to exit the room to allow Molly time to calm down. Firefighters advised the Rollens that Molly would likely emerge when the scene became less chaotic, meaning after the big guys in the CFD shirts left.
In the event that Molly did not emerge from the space, firefighters provided the fire station phone number and an invitation to call back. After two hours of calling out to Molly, the couple called firefighters back for help.
When firefighters returned, they knew that the distance from the wall opening to Molly was too far for a direct grab, Wilson said. On their first visit, they attempted to use a long wooden dowel to reach the area of the cat, but Molly moved to the opposite side of the empty space surrounding the bathtub.
The second attempt would require a new, never-before-used tactic, Wilson said.
Using the fire station’s leaf blower, firefighters placed the blower into the space opposite of where Molly was seen watching their every move (just like a cat). When the blower introduced air into the space, Molly ran from her hiding place and was reunited with her owners. Molly was uninjured during the incident, Wilson said.
Engine Company 5 crew included Lt. Bryan Brown, Firefighter Dan Bates and Firefighter Bob Jordan. Between the three, the firefighters have 60 years of service between them, Wilson said.
The Rollens expressed their appreciation to each of the firefighters for their efforts, although Molly, who did not appear in any of the photos, did not appear to be overly impressed.
And while Jordan is a veteran firefighter, he did mention that Molly’s rescue was his first cat rescue ever as a firefighter.
