The life of a curious – and somewhat reckless – cat has been saved thanks to the quick actions of a ferry crew this afternoon (Monday).
According to an eyewitness, a kitten aboard the Red Funnel vehicle ferry managed to escape from the car it was travelling in and during it’s escape ended up accidentally jumping from the vehicle deck of the vessel.
The shocking event was witnessed by several passengers at 17:32 this afternoon as the Red Eagle left its berth in Southampton. They quickly alerted members of the crew – who subsequently notified the Captain.
Orders were swiftly given for the vessel’s crew to launch their emergency rescue RIB from the side of the ferry and attempt to rescue the young cat.
2 members of the ships crew searched the immediate area around the ferry and, in a stroke of luck, located the cat and recovered it to the rescue boat. The cat was brought back aboard the ferry where it was tended to, and has miraculously survived its ordeal, according to an eyewitness.
UPDATE TUESDAY:
Red Funnel has released a statement regarding the incident, it reads:
Shortly after departure yesterday evening the 17:00 Southampton to Isle of Wight crossing on the Red Eagle ferry halted its journey to launch a rescue mission to save a kitten that had escaped and jumped overboard from deck C.
Article continues below this advertisement Captain Simon Brindle stopped the vessel allowing Ben Gibson, Deck Mate, and Mark Holland, Deckhand, to deploy a rescue boat and successfully rescued him from the water bringing him safely back on board.
Leanna Lakes, Operations Director at Red Funnel, said:
“We are incredibly proud of our Captain and crew on the Red Eagle for acting fast and saving one of our fluffy, four-legged passengers, and thank them for their brave efforts yesterday. We are happy to say that the cat was safely returned and is doing well.”
Should be renamed Lucky, if that’s not his name already!
Should also have said we’ll done RF staff.
What a great report and even better result. Lucky for the puss that a Red Funnel car ferry was actually running at the time tho….
Omg ! Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou, You wonder people. And how amazing !
Good job. Well done Red Funnel crew.
Any man overboard situation is a supreme challenge to the crew, a human head in the water is like trying to find the proverbial needle in a haystack.
To locate and rescue this poor cat is nothing short of incredible, those guys have our thanks and admiration, hopefully the company will give them some recognition for their expertise.
I think it would be fair to say the owner(s) are reckless and not the animal.
Should make the reckless owners pay for it putting the crews life at risk
Yes indeed. Why was the kitten not safely confined in a cat carryer???
You ever travelled with a cat before? Cats can and do get out of cat boxes. Accidents happen, stop victim blaming.
Lucky kitty. One of its nine lives gone lready
Good job by the crew,
And a fair decision by the captain.
Launching of the fast rescue boat is practised regularly on commercial vessels and I’m sure they were pleased to put their training to good use.
Well done to all those involved in the rescue.
Well done Red Funnel
Was the cat not in a pet carrier??
You have got to feel for Red Funnel they must be looking at the heavens and wondering what else can go wrong, covid, breakdowns, staff shortages and now a suicidal cat.
Brilliant. Well done.
Lucky cat! Perhaps next time his owners will be a bit more responsible & put him in a cat carrier.
Brilliant! This is one lucky little kitty puss. I think it’s definitely used one if it’s nine lives
Why was the cat left in the car in this heat even with a gap in the window in this heat is to much for a kitten . Reckless owners and don’t deserve to have the kitten in the first place.
who said it was left in the car?
the article said “as the Red Eagle left its berth in Southampton”, so perhaps ti was when the owners were getting out of the car with it ?
Yes! any animal left in a car in these temperatures! .. poor thing probably escaped the car to get out of the heat.
well done to the crew.
If walls had ears. I wonder what was said on that Bridge on first hearing of this.
Pity RF values PR more highly than a reliable servie.
Well done Red Funnel !! You done a grand job there. Emergency man overboard training put into action. Well done guys !!!
Nice to hear some good news. Glad the kitty is alright. And well done to the staff at Red Funnel for taking the time and trouble to rescue it. In some areas in the world, they wouldn’t have bothered. Cats don’t usually want to jump in the sea so i wonder if it was frightened and trying to escape? Or maybe one of those special breeds of cats (can’t remember the name) who love to swim?