PHOTOS: A lucky rescue

After pulling off a triumphant rescue, Chrissy Pope from Tonopah Animal Control reflected on the moments of suspense experienced as she and several other folks from the community collaborated to save a cat from a mine shaft.

On an April afternoon during a day tour at the Tonopah Mining Park, visitors reported hearing the sound of a distressed cat to the front desk. The curious situation quickly escalated into a swift rescue of an orange, male tabby cat that had somehow gotten trapped over 200 feet below in a mine shaft at the park. The situation was baffling because the particular area where the cat got stuck was mainly accessible through the park’s burro tunnels, as the whole park has been fenced for the safety of guests.

“A report like this was my first one and hopefully I’ll never have another one again,” says Pope.

That the cat was vocal seemed odd to Pope as she explained feral cats don’t usually meow in such a manner. The first night after the call, Pope was able to get some food into the area, however, she wasn’t able to see how far down the cat was, since Pope’s flashlight wasn’t able to illuminate that far down.

Pope contacted the folks she knew that would have the best knowledge and expertise on the unique type of rescue: Jerry Yeager and Allen Stumpf from the Tonopah and Round Mountain Fire Departments, Douglas “Stretch” Baker, Edward Tomany and Jeff Galli Jr. That team met with Pope to assess the situation and formulate a plan, which would include propelling someone down into the shaft.

The descent was considered risky but they were prepared to carefully attempt it with the instruction and guidance from Stumpf, who had prior experience in the maneuver. With the use of an infrared light, they located the cat and decided to lower a second trap down after seeing how much further down the cat was.

As the team baited the trap with food and lowered it to the cat’s position (who was by then meowing much more urgently), the door to the trap had closed. After four attempts with one person using a bungie cord to hold the door open and another to lower the trap, they were able to secure the cat.

Jeff Martin at the Tonopah Mining Park mentioned how this situation had always been a fear since he’s been at the park.

“Dogs or cats getting loose on our property can happen but thankfully we have people like Chrissy, our search and rescue teams and our fire department. All great groups and this actually turned out to be a great training exercise,” adds Martin.

Even after the rescue, there still aren’t any clear answers on how the cat got there but some speculation around the possibility of a predator of some sort, as wildlife near Tonopah can pose a threat to domestic animals. The cat had a collar but it contained no indication of an owner’s information.

Fortunately, the orange male tabby suffered no injuries. One of the main concerns was how the cat was to overcome the cold temperatures, being so far down, however the cat greeted the team by flopping around in the cage with affection. “It felt like he was saying ‘thank you,’” says Pope. Appropriately, the cat was given the name Lucky.

In her time working with the Nye County Sheriff’s Office and the Tonopah Animal Control, Pope has seen a lot of unfortunate situations happen with animals. Most often cats and dogs do get abandoned but very rarely do they get stuck in unique areas such as mine shafts.

Thankfully, the team did not need to propel a person down into the hole. To Pope, it felt like a great training exercise and practice in response to such a situation.

“It was just a cat stuck in a mine shaft but to me it was more than a cat. The poor thing was crying for help,” says Pope. “It is wonderful to know that there are people in the world that would put their life on the line for a kitty-cat.”

After a couple of weeks getting nourishment and recovery, Lucky will be getting adopted into a loving family, shares Pope. For many years to come, the rescuers and locals will remember and talk about how Lucky was rescued from a mine shaft and found a good home.

Rachel Ebel is a freelance reporter living in Tonopah.