Kentucky Nurse Rescues Baby Raccoon With CPR After Dumpster Mishap
WHITESBURG, Ky. — A baby raccoon that accidentally got drunk on fermented peaches and nearly drowned in a dumpster was rescued by a quick-thinking Kentucky nurse who performed CPR on the animal, according to UPI.
From Panic to Rescue
Misty Combs, a registered nurse at the Letcher County Health Department, said she and her colleagues noticed a mother raccoon frantically running around a parking lot. When they investigated, they discovered her two babies trapped inside a dumpster belonging to Kentucky Mist Moonshine, a local distillery.
Using a shovel, Combs safely lifted one baby raccoon out. The second, however, was found face-down in water at the bottom of the dumpster.
Life-Saving CPR
“At first everyone thought it was dead — it wasn’t breathing,” Combs told LEX 18. “It had drowned and was full of water, so immediately, I just started doing CPR on it.”
Video footage shows Combs performing chest compressions and turning the raccoon over to help expel water. After several tense moments, the raccoon began to breathe again.
Veterinary Care and Sobering Up
The rescued animal was transferred to Dr. Ben Cornett at the Isom veterinary clinic, where it was treated for alcohol intoxication and monitored overnight.
Cornett confirmed the young raccoon had ingested fermented peaches, which caused it to become intoxicated and disoriented before falling into the dumpster. Fluids were administered to help the animal recover.
A Happy Reunion
The raccoon, nicknamed “Otis Campbell” after the fictional drunk from The Andy Griffith Show, was released the next day. Combs herself had the honor of setting it free, reuniting it with its mother and sibling in the same parking lot where it had been found.
“I was surprised it lived,” Combs told WYMT-TV. “It was amazing to see something that I helped bring back to life.”
The unusual rescue highlights the compassion of everyday heroes and the sometimes-surprising hazards wildlife face in urban areas. For more inspiring community stories and offbeat headlines, follow ChicagoMusicGuide.com.