Scavenger Trapped in Drain While Rescuing a Cat

A man was found trapped in a storm drain at the Tangerang Regency Government Complex in Tigaraksa, Tangerang Regency, Banten. He turned out to be a scavenger who had just rescued a cat.

Footage of residents discovering the man in the drain went viral on social media. They were shocked to find someone inside and unsure how he could get out.

They called to the man through a pavement drain cover to check on him. A camera captured him crouching inside the drain. He said he was safe but did not know how to find his way out.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” the scavenger replied from inside the drain.

Residents were also unsure how to access the drain. In the video circulating online, the sky was already beginning to darken.

“Stay calm, stay calm. We’re calling the fire brigade,” one resident said.

A sack of scrap raises suspicions

The discovery began when security staff at the Tangerang Regency Communications and Informatics Agency’s Smart Building found a scavenger’s sack and became suspicious.

“This came to light after a sack containing scrap was found right by the drain’s access cover,” the Tangerang Regency Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) said.

Staff then called out to the sack’s owner and discovered that he was inside the drain.

“Building security called out to him, asking the scavenger to come out. He responded and assured them that he was all right inside the drain,” it said.

However, the scavenger did not emerge for nearly 30 minutes. Worried about his condition, security staff contacted the fire brigade team at the Tigaraksa fire station.

The man eventually climbed out of the drain before firefighters could evacuate him. He apologised for causing concern.

“We received a report that someone was trapped in a drain at the government complex. Thankfully, the victim managed to get out before we carried out an evacuation, and he was unharmed,” said Ranun, the Tigaraksa fire brigade team leader.

He went in to rescue a cat

Officials said the scavenger had entered the drain to rescue a cat he had heard inside.

“The victim was trying to rescue a cat,” Tangerang Regency fire brigade staff said.

The incident took place on Friday evening, 6 November. As it grew dark, the man became confused about how to get out of the drain.

A short while later, a resident realised that he was trapped. After spending around 30 minutes inside, the scavenger eventually managed to get out by himself.

“The victim could not find the way out. Residents then asked for help from the nearest team, at the Tigaraksa fire station,” officials said.

Residents asked the man how he had become trapped. He said he had found the cat in the drain and rescued it, but then could not get out.

“I heard a kitten meowing and thought, ‘It must be in the drain.’ The little cat needed to be let out, so I got it out—but then I couldn’t get out myself,” the man said in a video viewed by the outlet.