A Kentucky nurse, Misty Combs, encountered a baby raccoon in distress after it ingested fermented peaches and ended up drowning in a dumpster. Despite the potential risks of aiding a wild animal, Combs, driven by her caregiving instincts, decided to intervene and save the raccoon.
The incident occurred at the Letcher County Health Department in Whitesburg, Ky, where Combs and her colleagues responded to reports of two baby raccoons trapped in a dumpster filled with rainwater and leftover fermented peaches from a nearby distillery. The raccoons likely entered the bin to feed on the fruity leftovers and got stuck when it started raining.
While one baby raccoon was rescued easily, the other was submerged and harder to reach. Combs, trained in human CPR, improvised and performed chest compressions on the raccoon, successfully reviving it despite initial doubts of its survival.
The distillery owner, Colin Fultz, expressed gratitude towards Combs and her team for saving the raccoon, jokingly mentioning the legal drinking age of the raccoon due to its intoxicated state. Following the rescue, the raccoon, named Otis, was handed over to wildlife officials for proper care and rehabilitation.
Otis was later released back into the wild by Combs, appearing healthy and unharmed despite his eventful ordeal. The heartwarming story of Otis’s rescue and recovery serves as a reminder of the importance of quick and compassionate action when encountering distressed wildlife.