Firefighter breaks down in tears after rescuing kitten. The footage has gone viral

The man broke down in tears and had to be consoled by colleagues. Photo / Twitter/Made You Smile

A 28-second clip showing a firefighter crying after rescuing a kitten in distress is probably the most heartwarming video you will watch this week.

The footage, posted to Twitter yesterday, has been viewed more than 3.7 million times.

The video has been viewed nearly four million times in just one day. Photo / Twitter/Made You Smile

The Italian firefighter heard the kitten crying after it accidentally fell down a hole on a road. The man immediately pulled the animal out of the hole and the moment felt so overwhelming to him that he broke down in tears, while his colleagues consoled him.

Italian firefighter saves small kitten and then cries his heart out ❤️ pic.twitter.com/iE6Y0GazIx

— Madeyousmile (@Thund3rB0lt) May 2, 2021

Social media users loved the clip and praised the man for showing his emotions so openly.

"People should be free to cry whenever they feel so moved. I love that the other firefighters just hugged the tearful rescuer," a Twitter user said.

"Love anyone who loves animals, especially if they aren't afraid to show their emotions for animals," another person said.

Women on here throwing themselves at this guy because of his sensitivity, meanwhile I will weep uncontrollably at the drop of a hat and haven’t had a date in years. Maybe if I learned Italian...

— Bill Shaw (@cranky_bill) May 2, 2021

Men, what's stopping you from being like him??

— Marissaah👻 (@sadgirlbleu) May 2, 2021

"This is why I lived in Italy nearly 10 years. People express themselves all the way, and it's a beautiful thing," someone else replied.

"This is what wholesome masculinity looks like," another Twitter user said.

The video has been retweeted nearly 25,000 times in just one day.