A Kentucky nurse, Misty Combs, encountered a baby raccoon in distress after it got drunk on fermented peaches and ended up drowning in a dumpster. Despite the potential risks of handling a wild animal, Combs, driven by her caregiving instincts, decided to rescue the critter. The incident took place at the Letcher County Health Department in Whitesburg, Ky., on Aug. 14, where people noticed the raccoon in a state of distress in the parking lot.
The dumpster where the raccoons were found belonged to a nearby distillery and contained rainwater and remnants of fermented peaches used for peach moonshine. Recognizing the raccoon family from previous sightings, Combs and her colleagues realized the animals must have entered the bin for the fruity treat but became trapped due to the rain.
Combs managed to rescue one baby raccoon by gently tossing it out to its mother, but the second one was submerged and more challenging to reach. Despite being trained in administering CPR to humans, Combs courageously performed chest compressions on the unconscious raccoon, which eventually started showing signs of recovery after spitting up water.
The owner of the distillery, Colin Fultz, expressed gratitude towards Combs and her team for saving the raccoon, now affectionately named Otis. Fultz has requested a lidded dumpster from the city to prevent similar incidents in the future. Following the rescue, Otis was handed over to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources for further care and release back into the wild.
Despite the unconventional circumstances, the baby raccoon recovered well and was deemed to be of legal drinking age in “raccoon years.” Combs, along with her colleagues, bid farewell to Otis as he rejoined his family under a nearby bridge, seemingly unaffected by his ordeal.