September 21, 2024 — 14:37 local time

Heavy rain turned a crowded outdoor flower market into a shallow river on Saturday afternoon, and in the middle of the overturned pots, floating petals and muddy water, one of the market’s smallest visitors ended up stranded in plain sight.

Chest-camera footage recorded at 14:37 shows a tiny calico kitten crouched on a raised metal flower display shelf, soaked black, orange and white fur pressed flat, tiny white paws tucked tight against the wet grating. Around her, black and white flower pots had tipped into the floodwater covering the market floor, bouquets floated between the stalls, and rain hammered the metal roof overhead while shoppers waded through the walkway in the distance.

The rescuer, wearing a bright yellow waterproof jacket and thick black gloves, approached slowly through the shallow muddy water and stopped in front of the shelf. Both gloved hands rose toward the kitten gradually, giving her time to watch them coming. The kitten lowered her body slightly, blinked against the rain, and her ears twitched at the sound of water striking the roof. Droplets slid from her wet whiskers.

Then the hands slid into place: one beneath her chest, the other supporting her hindquarters, taking her whole weight before she ever left the metal. She lifted one tiny paw and let out a soft meow as she was raised clear of the shelf.

The footage ends with the kitten held low and secure in both cupped hands against the rescuer’s yellow jacket, looking toward the camera, calmer, while the flooded flower market — its stalls, scattered petals and warm overhead lights — stretches out behind them.