Firefighter saves cat with mouth-to-mouth!

NEW BEDFORD, Massachusetts - September 10, 2008 - Acts of bravery and courage come with the territory of a firefighter, but Al Machado might have broken new ground Tuesday when he saved a house cat with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Sweating and breathing heavily from fighting the fire, Mr. Machado was still making faces and picking fur from his mouth when he told a reporter there wasn't much hesitation involved. He had rescued the cat from a burning, second-floor apartment on Summer Street "and it really needed air and it couldn't wait," he said.

So he began mouth-to-mouth breathing on the cat as he carried it out to the sidewalk, where police and paramedics were ready with oxygen, and left it with them while he went back inside the apartment. Paramedics administered oxygen while he was inside the building and, at the next opportunity, Mr. Machado resumed mouth-to-mouth, and the cat, a tiger angora, revived and was resting comfortably in the animal rescue van, awaiting a ride to the veterinarian.