He Was Thought Dead: Shocked When the Wall Broke After 5 Days

In New York, a cat named Lola fell into a wall cavity of a house and remained trapped for about five days, but survived thanks to a rescue operation carried out against time. Lola, found upside‑down and on the brink of exhaustion, was rescued after the wall was carefully opened.

Vanished During the Move

The incident began while a family in Franklin Square, New York, was preparing to move out of their home. Lola slipped beneath a floorboard amid the noise and bustle of the move and went missing.

John DeBacker and his team, who have been conducting cat‑rescue operations for about 15 years, sprang into action to locate Lola. Food and camera‑equipped traps were set at various points around the house. Although Lola emerged at night for a time, she was not caught by the traps.

Later, the complete lack of any trace of the cat heightened concerns. Investigations revealed that Lola had fallen from a cavity and become trapped behind a wall on the first floor.

Found Upside‑Down and Trapped

When they reached the point where Lola was, it was observed that her condition was critical. It was noted that for about five days the cat, lying upside down inside the wall, had been trying to eat insulation materials due to hunger.

After days of search efforts, the rescue team, with the help of a craftsman, decided to open the wall. First, a hole was created with an electric saw, and then Lola's exact location inside the wall was determined using an endoscopic camera.

To prevent the cat from retreating deeper out of fear of the loud noise, the work was carried out with a quieter drill.

He stretched from the narrow opening, pulling it out by its legs.

In the most critical moment of the rescue operation, John DeBacker managed to reach Lola's hind legs by stretching into the narrow gap opened in the wall. DeBacker carefully pulled the exhausted cat out of the wall.

In footage from the rescue moment, Lola, still in dust, was placed into a transport bag wrapped in a towel, and onlookers were seen celebrating with great joy.

DeBacker recounted the moment they succeeded in reviving the cat as "the most wonderful feeling in the world." Lola's days without food and water, and especially surviving upside-down, were described as a "miracle."

A foreign body was detected in the stomach.

Shortly after being rescued, Lola was taken to an emergency veterinary clinic, where remnants of a foreign body were detected in her stomach.

It was reported that the cat, which had reunited with its family, continued to show loss of appetite, while its health condition was closely monitored by veterinarians.

Warning to Cat Owners About Relocation

DeBacker, who is also a four-cat owner, responded to the incident by warning pet owners, especially those preparing to move, about the necessary precautions.

DeBacker stated that cats should be kept in a safe, closed room before the move begins, and that the loud noises and activity that arise during the relocation could scare the cats, causing them to flee or hide in hard‑to‑reach places.