Regina resident Hilary Pradinuk was excited to have her cat backpack on Saturday so she and her pet Felix could go on walk, but it ended with a little bit of scare.
Pradinuk was on the walking trails alongside Wascana Creek near Kiwanis Park when she decided to place Felix down to take his picture.
Not realizing it at the time, Pradinuk sat Felix at the edge of the hill which led to the water.
“I’m pulling out my phone and in those two seconds, my cat is rolling down the hill and into the water. I screamed for help, ‘Somebody please help me!’’ Pradinuk said.
Pradinuk jumped into the water to grab Felix, putting herself in a vulnerable position and needed help to get her and the cat back to dry land.
She said it took a while for anybody to hear her, but lucky enough, Regina Rosemont MLA Trent Wotherspoon was nearby and came to the rescue.
“From across the way, Trent, who I did not know it was him at the time, screams at me and says ‘Do you need help? And I’m like ‘Yes, please.’ I am hysterical,” Pradinuk said.
“I don’t care if I’m not OK, but I want my cat to be OK.”
Pradinuk said Wotherspoon ran over to where she and Felix were and helped pull the two out of the water.
“What a blessing it was to have him come so quickly. Nobody was coming around, it was unbelievable,” Pradinuk said.
Wotherspoon said he was just reacting to the situation.
“I saw her in the water and saw her holding, what I thought at the time, was a baby above her head. I could see the panic and the stress,” Wotherspoon said.
“I pictured the worst and time was of the essence, so I ran as hard as I could to get to them. I was just so relieved when they were on the shore and safe.”
As for Felix, Pradinuk said he will never again be put in the backpack and that he’s OK, and is receiving an overabundance of treats and pets.
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