Edmonton firefighter has clich first day on job, rescues cat from tree

An Edmonton firefighter's first day on the job Sunday afternoon took him to new heights that is, about 30 feet into the air to rescue a cat stuck in a tree.

A small crowd of people gathered on 102nd Avenue and 74th Street to watch as Jonathon Hydzik saved the cat in crisis.

"This is my first day on the job and the first time I've rescued a cat," he said with a smile.

The fire crew that initially responded was forced to call another crew with aladder truck to the scene because the ladder in their rescue rig was too short.

Hydzik climbed aboard the truck and was lifted into the foliage overhead, where the frightened feline was waiting.

The grey cat clung to him during the descent, but appeared relatively unfazed about the commotion it had caused. The crowd applauded when the cat was handed back to its owner.

And while Hydzik's first day at work certainly wasn't a trial by fire, he said he was happy to be part of the rescue mission.

"You always hear these stories and it's kind of the stereotypical North American thing for a firefighter to do," he said. "And I'm proud to do it."

The fire captain on scene said cat rescues are a fairly regular occurrence in Edmonton.