Tampa woman climbs in storm drain to rescue kitten

TAMPA (FOX 13) - A Tampa woman didn't think twice about jumping right in when a kitten needed her help, even though it meant jumping into a storm drain.

The woman, who identified herself only as Maria, said she was walking home from Ybor City late Monday night when she heard a noise she couldn't ignore. She crossed the normally busy North 22nd Street, not far from the Selmon Expressway overpass, and discovered the source of the cries for help: a tiny kitten trapped inside the sewer beneath a storm drain.

Maria said she couldn't just leave the kitten, so she began to try and pry off the drain's cover. Another man stopped to help but neither could lift the heavy bars. Once Tampa police arrived on the scene officers helped pull up the drain cover and Maria didn't think twice about jumping down.

In video captured at the scene, Maria emerged covered in dirt and sand but is all smiles as she holds up a small grey, albeit terrified, kitten.

The best part? Maria isn't just the kitten's hero, she's also going to be the kitten's new mom. After pulling the kitten out of the sewer Maria proudly announced she will be adopting the little one.