November 2, 2024 — Chest-mounted bodycam footage recorded at 19:26 local time shows a rescue worker gently lifting a small soaked black cat from a slippery wooden staircase railing inside a flooded historical library, as dark floodwater swirls through the reading rooms below.

The fifteen-second clip opens on the cat clinging to the wet railing, its black fur completely soaked and its large green eyes locked on the camera. Below the staircase, antique books and wooden furniture drift through the dark water, while warm wall lamps reflect off the flooded floor of the towering, book-lined hall.

Moving carefully along the wet steps, the rescuer — dressed in a red waterproof emergency jacket, black protective gloves and a rescue harness with carabiners — approaches with both hands open. One gloved hand slides beneath the cat’s chest while the other steadies its body. The cat briefly tightens its grip on the wood, then releases its claws and gives a soft meow as it is lifted clear of the railing, water droplets falling from its fur.

The footage ends with the cat tucked securely against the rescuer’s chest, blinking slowly and calmer, as the camera turns toward a higher, dry landing with the flooded library and floating books still visible in the background. No further details about the cat’s condition were available at the time of publication.