Chin Leng,
I had similar experience. It was last Christmas when my dad, despite many warnings never to bring Nanook downstairs, defied me. After feeding Nanook at 6am that day, I went back to sleep. Thinking I had to go to work that day, he came in to "wake" me up at 8am. I ignord him. About a couple of min later, my mum came into my room and asked if Nanook was there. I told her no, and she said she couldn't find Nanook anywhere in the hse. I was wide awake then, petrified. We cldn't locate my dad and I had this very strong gut feeling he had brought him downstairs. My mum went downstairs and I searched the staircases, calling him. I stayed on the 14th flr, and I cld hear my mum calling for Nanook. My worst fear came true. My dad didn't apologise for his mistake, and all of us were, needless to say, angry with his actions. Nanook was hiding under a drain, and it was drizzling that morning, and he just had his bath the previous day. He was shivering, and meowing piteously. To make matter worse, he was under some concrete pavemnt, and there was nothing we could do to bring him out. Thank God the drain had no true-holes, otherwise he'd have run off and I'd lost him forever. I was very worried, and I cried like mad. I know crying wouldn't help anything, but I was so desperate when Nanook didn't want to come out. Guess he was too shaken. But unlike you, we managed to pull him out one hr later. I wrapped him with a big towel and brought him home. Nanook was back. And yes, we bathed him again.
What a Christmas.
Yes, the leash you were mentioning, holds the front paws too right? It makes the cat more secure.