Kitten Rescued From LI Storm Drain During Henri Gets Happy Ending

HICKSVILLE, NY — A group of animal rescuers and Nassau County police officers worked against the weather to save a kitten trapped in a storm drain just minutes before she would have drowned in the rain from Tropical Storm Henri.

For most Long Islanders, Henri turned out to be a dud. But animal rescuers John DeBacker and John Spat were working hard to save a kitten who was trapped in the storm drain at the intersection of West Avenue and Kingston Avenue in Hicksville.

DeBacker worked with NCPD officers to get to the kitten. As they were working, the rain from Henri started, and the drain pipe the kitten was in started to fill up with water.

With water rushing in and the pipe quickly filling, one of the police officers on one end of the pipe managed to push the kitten out the other end to DeBacker, who quickly pulled it to safety. The kitten — now named Henrietta — was wet and scared, but otherwise healthy.

DeBacker took Henrietta home to help nurse her. Soon she'll have a home with someone she already knows, as one of the officers that helped rescue her has plans to adopt Henrietta.