Georgia's Tybee Island is a barrier island and popular vacation destination known for its beautiful palm-tree lined beaches and marine wildlife. But it was no dolphin or shark who made the headlines there last week: Rather, it was a common feline that was responsible for an unusual emergency when the cat became stranded in a palm tree for more than eight hours.

Tybee Island Fire Rescue received a call at 4:45 p.m. reporting that a cat had been stuck in a tree near 14th Street since 8:00 a.m. that morning.

Crews from Truck 1 arrived on scene and positioned their aerial ladder to reach the stranded animal. However, the rescue didn't go quite as planned. As firefighters approached, the agile cat repeatedly moved to the opposite side of the tree, forcing crews to reposition their equipment multiple times.

Weather in your inbox

Forecast Location

Sign Up

By signing up you agree to the Terms & Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe at any time.

After what firefighters described as "a brief game of 'you go left, I go right,'" crews successfully secured the cat and brought it safely to the ground. No injuries were reported to the cat or firefighters, though crew members joked about "bruised egos" following the cat's evasive maneuvers.

The Tybee Island Fire Rescue announced on social media that the cat is safe, crews have returned to service and the palm tree "has officially been placed off limits for future climbing operations."