Watch: Kitten rescued from excavator joins Ohio crew
Watch kitten rescued from an excavator engine bay in Leavittsburg, Ohio, and you will see how RiverReach Construction turned a stranded orange stray into crew mascot Sue. Named Komatsu after the machine brand, she now has a tiny vest and hard hat after her viral rescue caught the company's attention.
Key Takeaways
- Supervisor Chase Guello found a tiny orange kitten inside an excavator engine bay at a Leavittsburg, Ohio, job site.
- RiverReach Construction named her Komatsu — Sue for short — after the excavator brand.
- After two weeks in foster care, Sue was placed with shop mechanic Jared and his family.
- Viral rescue footage reached Komatsu officials, who sent Sue a miniature safety vest and hard hat.
- Guello says Sue will eventually commute to work and serve as a shop cat once she is old enough.
Where was the kitten found, and who rescued her?
According to UPI, Chase Guello, an operating supervisor with RiverReach Construction, was examining an excavator at a Leavittsburg job site when he discovered the tiny orange kitten inside the engine bay.
The crew searched the area but could not locate the kitten's mother or any siblings. What began as a routine equipment check became an unexpected animal rescue — the sort of feel-good oddity that often appears in our Bizarre News & Florida Man coverage.
How did Sue become part of the construction crew?
RiverReach named the cat Komatsu in honor of the excavator brand, with Sue as her everyday nickname. She spent two weeks in foster care before being placed with Jared, the company's shop mechanic, and his family.
Guello told WJW-TV that once Sue is of age, she will travel to and from work with Jared and eventually become a shop cat under his supervision. That plan turns a one-off rescue into a lasting role alongside the Ohio construction crew.
Why did Komatsu send Sue a vest and hard hat?
Video of Sue's rescue went viral online and came to the attention of officials at Komatsu. The company responded by sending RiverReach a tiny safety vest and hard hat sized for the new mascot.
The gear seals both the joke and the goodwill: a kitten pulled from heavy machinery now sports the same brand's safety look. For readers who want the original report and Instagram clips shared by River Reach Construction, UPI's Odd News write-up remains the clearest account of how Sue went from engine bay to crew member.