Metro

Bronx man falls to death while trying to rescue cat from tree

Marcel Rios

Marcel Rios (
)

The cat was spotted in the tree before being rescued around noon.

The cat was spotted in the tree before being rescued around noon. (Tomas E. Gaston)

A Bronx man trying to rescue a cat from a tree fell to his death this morning after a branch snapped under him, authorities said.

The 53-year-old man, identified by relatives at the scene as Marcel Rios, was at least about 40 feet up in the tree on Bronx Park East and Allerton Avenue in Bronxwood at 3 a.m. when he fell, cops said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The dark tabby, which had no collar, was finally rescued by firemen just after noon.

Rios, 53, came to New York from Mexico about 20 years ago and lived with his cousin, his cousin’s wife and their three daughters in an apartment complex near the park where the cat was stranded.

The cousin, Manuel Cabrera, 36, said he had no clue why Rios was in the park at 3 a.m. Cabrera said Rios left the house about 11 p.m. yesterday but didn’t say where he was going.

Cabrera wasn’t surprised that his cousin would try and help a distressed animal.

“He loved animals. He saw cats on the street, and he’d buy food and give it to the cats. He always like to help people. He was friendly with everybody,” Cabrea said, adding that Rios has two turtles and two birds.

Cabrera said Rios used to work in clothing factory but most recently made money collecting cans and bottles to sell for recycling.