On Christmas Eve, the Wrightwood community was hit with heavy rainfall that led to severe flooding across the area. The rapid rise in water levels posed an immediate threat to many residents and their pets.
Early that morning, emergency personnel arrived at the home of Dave Meyers, waking him to warn that his house was taking on water. He was quickly evacuated by ambulance, but Charlie, Lily and Trinity, his three pet cats could not accompany him.
Michelle Schneider, Dave’s daughter who lives on Cardinal Street, explained the situation to her son, Davey Schneider, describing what had happened at his grandfather’s home. At the same time, both CERT and the fire department were unable to reach residents at the top of Cardinal Street due to debris and fast-moving floodwaters blocking the bottom of the street. Hazardous conditions made it temporarily impossible to evacuate by vehicle.
Davey walked to the top of Cardinal Street to help neighbors affected by the flooding. He worked for several hours with others, using a shovel to build berms and divert water away from homes and garages.
Still concerned about his grandfather’s cats, Davey returned home with sore arms, ate a quick snack and set out on foot to check on them. With vehicles unable to cross the floodwaters, he decided to walk 1½ miles to the house, located near the fire station on Highway 2.
All morning, he had been thinking about how the cats had previously faced emergencies, including dangerous fires, making it feel even more urgent to help them. As floodwaters rose, Davey showed determination and courage, crossing swift water in the rain to reach the house.
He didn’t inform his mother of his plan until he was already on his way, knowing she would try to stop him because of the risk.
When he arrived, he waded through fast-moving water and entered through the front door, which was difficult to open due to the current. Inside, he found two cat carriers but needed three.
He caught Lily first, carried her outside in one of the carriers, and handed her to a firefighter, who took her to the fire station across the street and returned the empty carrier.
Davey re-entered the house and climbed out a window with Charlie in the other carrier, as the front door was no longer accessible. He climbed back in again to rescue Trinity, a three-legged cat, grabbing her just before she jumped off a ledge, a move that may have prevented her rescue.
“There was no way I was gonna leave those cats behind,” Davey said.
Davey successfully rescued all three cats—Charlie, Lily and Trinity.
His grandfather was later relocated to another home, while the cats were fostered at one residence for several days before being moved to another for a month.
Dave has since moved to a new residence where pets aren’t allowed. Fortunately, a loving home was found for the cats in Phelan, where they now live safely and comfortably after their ordeal.
