It wasn't the cold weather that caused firefighters and gas company workers to respond to a broken natural gas line in Fort Mill, SC, but a missing ferret.
According to The Island Packet, the ferrets - a male named Spirit and a female named Mika - were Christmas gifts for Chris Winger's daughter Portia.
Last week around 2 a.m., Winger said his daughter told him that Mika was missing, and according to Winger, the only place the ferret could have escaped was through a bathroom drain pipe formerly used for the clothes washer.
Winger found the end of the pipe and started digging around it with a shovel in an effort to rescue the ferret. However, during the digging, Winger accidentally hit a natural gas line.
Winger called the gas company and fire department. The Fort Mill Fire Department responded first, followed by York County Sheriff's deputies.
According to Glen Boatwright, Director of Regulatory Compliance for the gas company, the fire department eliminated the gas flow while the York County Natural Gas workers repaired the line.
Later that same morning, Winger found the missing ferret, who had passed away, in an elbow of the drain pipe. Winger buried Mika, but the family still has Spirit.
Have you ever caused any damage while searching for a missing pet? Let us know in the comments.
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