A firefighter used a hose to get a cat out of a tree

When residents of Spencerport, New York, USA, called the fire department for help, they didn't expect that their help would turn out to be a disaster, not a blessing.

At first glance, the problem didn't seem critical—a house cat had climbed a tree and couldn't get down on its own. Logically, the firefighters should have placed a ladder against the tree and rescued the animal. But one of them proved unusual. After asking his helpers to stretch a rescue blanket under the tree, he began spraying the cat with a hose to knock it down. However, the force of the water sent the cat flying, not into the blanket, but in a completely different direction, landing on the ground. The cat didn't survive the ordeal.

Now the firefighter has been charged with animal cruelty. It's unclear what punishment he faces, but he has already lost his job.