Footage of what initially appeared to be a man passing pillows and food down to an individual seemingly taking refuge in a storm drain has turned out to be a kitten rescue.
The moment was captured in footage taken on a cell phone in Jacksonville and obtained by local news outlet News4JAX.
In the video, a man can be seen sitting next to a drain passing down belongings, apparently pillows and food parcels, to someone inside the drain—all that was visible from the clip was a person’s hand reaching up out of the drain.
A woman was initially initially quoted by News4JAX saying she believed homeless individuals might be taking refuge in the storm drain, but the news outlet has reported that instead, the footage actually showed a kitten rescue taking place.
Newsweek has contacted the Jacksonville Public Works Department outside of regular working hours via email for comment.
Why It Matters
Although it was found that the storm drain was not being used by homeless people there are growing concerns in Florida about the issue of homelessness.
Homelessness has been on the rise in the U.S. in general. In 2024, 771,480 people or 23 out of every 10,000 U.S. residents experienced homelessness, according to the advocacy group National Alliance to End Homelessness.
In Florida, 13 out of every 10,000 residents experienced homelessness in 2024, a 2 percent increase on 2023, but this was lower than other states like Hawaii and New York, where that figure was 80 out of every 10,000 residents.
The issue has been at the forefront of policymakers’ actions recently, with California Governor Gavin Newsom ordering homeless encampments to be dismantled across the state last week.
This came as President Donald Trump signed an executive order to enable states to remove homeless encampments and place unhoused individuals into mental health or addiction treatment programs in a vow to end “crime and disorder on America’s streets.”
Steven White left) and Motortion (right/Getty Images
What To Know
A woman, who asked not to be identified, told News4JAX the incident was not the first time she’d seen individuals passing things down the storm drain.
Now, the news outlet has learned that what was actually going on was a 10-day long kitten rescue, according to another unnamed woman who said it was her arm that could be seen reaching up from the drain in the footage.
The food being lowered down into the drain was being used as a lure to get the kitten out, the second woman reportedly told News4JAX.
Storm drains are usually located along highways and are used to divert excess water away during times of heavy rainfall.
Rainfall in Jacksonville over the last few days prompted concern over the health and safety of any individuals in the drain, given that any overflow of water would feed into it.
Not only would there be a risk of them getting stuck in the drain, their health could be endangered by bacteria and contaminants in runoff water.
Out of concern, the local news outlet reported that it had contacted the city’s Public Works Department and shared the video with officials.
The Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department was then contacted by the department, News4JAX reported, to ensure no one was trapped inside the drain.
The woman who said she was featured in the video told News4JAX that she had been given advice by the Animal Care and Protective Services on how to trap the kitten around a week ago. The kitten has now been successfully trapped and rescued.
What Happens Next
A man who was part of the rescue mission has now adopted the kitten, News4JAX reported.
