Boy, 15, saves cat stuck up tree after firefighters refused to ‘put lives at risk’

A 15-year-old boy has been hailed as a hero for rescuing a cat stuck up a tree - after firefighters said they would not ‘put lives at risk’.

18-month-old cat Diesel had been trapped up the 60ft tall spruce tree in Foulden, Berwickshire for five days when teen Kyle Watkinson stepped forward to help.

Diesel's owner Adele Harland was frantic after the Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue said its officers would be 'putting their lives at risk' if they tried to rescue the trapped cat. Animal welfare charity Scottish SPCA also said it was also unable to help.

Meanwhile, Northumberland Fire Service initially agreed to come out but then said they said could not send a team across the border. A tree surgeon also tried and failed to reach Diesel.

Following the attempt a spokesman for the Borders fire service gave the following statement: "The cat has been up nearly a week now. The cat was too high for the tree surgeon to reach and he was not going to put his life at risk by going any further.

"Similarly, we are not going to put the lives of our firefighters at risk. The SSPCA are of a similar opinion".

As the days went by Adele was forced to listen to Diesel's meows gradually getting weaker and weaker before they finally stopped. After hearing about Diesel's plight, Margaret Muir and her son Kyle jumped into their car and headed over to see what they could do.

Confident that he could reach Diesel, Kyle scaled the tree and was able to bring the exhausted cat down without a problem.

“It wasn't hard and it isn't even the worst tree I have climbed,” said Kyle. “I was scared for the cat but never for myself. They [firefighters and SSPCA] said it was too risky - but I just can't see how, when I'm a 15-year-old boy and I got up and got the cat down with no bother at all".