A Ukrainian man fleeing his war-torn homeland to avoid conscription embarked on a perilous journey to neighboring Romania. He was eventually rescued from a sub-zero mountain ravine with an unlikely companion: a months-old kitten named Peach.
According to the Associated Press, more than a dozen rescuers braved harsh blizzard conditions last week in the Maramures region of northern Romania to save 28-year-old Vladislav Duda. Duda was found "soaked and frozen" and severely hypothermic in a 400-meter-deep ravine. Duda, whose home is in the war-stricken Kharkiv region of Ukraine, fled with Peach to avoid being drafted into the Ukrainian army. They became stranded in the Carpathian Mountains, which span southwestern Ukraine and northern Romania, more than a week later.
When rescuers located Duda, they found Peach snuggled inside his jacket. Dan Benga, director of the Maramures Mountain Rescue Department, told the Associated Press that Peach "was warm and was warming him, so he saved his life. The only thing he cared about after being rescued was the cat; he didn't care about himself."
Benga said that when he asked Duda if he was okay, Duda replied, "I'm happy because my cat is alive. I got a new life from God. The happiest moment is because the cat is here with me."
According to reports, the initial rescue attempt involved a helicopter, but dangerous weather conditions and poor visibility forced the team to abort. Ground crews then traversed thick snow in sub-zero temperatures of -10 degrees Celsius to reach the man and his cat. During the five-hour ascent out of the ravine, Duda refused to let go of his kitten. Benga said that Duda held Peach to his chest "from the bottom to the top, until we put him in the ambulance. He only said, 'Please take care of the cat.'"
Duda, who was close to frostbite, is currently receiving treatment. Peach, a small reddish-brown male cat, had run out of food four days prior, but melting snow helped sustain him. Despite being malnourished, he is expected to make a full recovery after receiving veterinary care.
Duda, a journalist in Ukraine, told the Associated Press, "It's like a dream. After everything I've been through, I only wished to be found and to survive. Peach kept my heart warm, he kept my faith alive."
While Peach is the first cat rescued from the Romanian mountains, Duda is among many Ukrainian men risking their lives to cross the mountains to avoid conscription. Since the start of the Russian-Ukrainian War in February 2022, the Maramures Mountain Rescue Department has rescued over 160 Ukrainians in the area and recovered 16 bodies. On the day Duda was found, rescuers also saved two other men by helicopter.
Benga said, "There are many people who come, but if they don't have health problems, they don't call for help. The people who call for help are those who only have a few hours left to live."
Der🇺🇦Journalist Duda floh aus Charkiw mit Kätzchen Peach vor der Mobilisierung nach Rumänien übers Maramuresch-Gebirge: Lebensgefährlich bei Tiefschnee, -10°C. Er fiel in eine 400m tiefe Schlucht, die🇷🇴Bergrettung fand ihn, Peach wärmte ihn unter der Jacke, rettete so sein Leben. pic.twitter.com/aKmJYdBk9l
— Zentrale Ermittlungsstelle (@ZentraleV) 2024å¹´12月10æ—¥
