Four cats about to drown were rescued from a burning ship by a group of Thai Navy officers in the middle of the sea.
Four small cats were trapped in a sinking abandoned ship near the Thai island of Koh Adang, which was also on fire, with thick black smoke in the air. There was little time left for the ship to disappear below the surface, when Navy officials spotted them and rushed to their rescue.
The Royal Thai Navy returned to check the capsized ship for an oil spill. When the officers approached the boat, it was about to finish sinking. The 4 cats huddled together received much-needed help from a 23-year-old sailor and his team of Thai naval officers.
According to local media, the crew members of this ship were rescued by another ship days earlier, but the four cats had been left behind for some unknown reason.
Thai navy rescues 4 cats from burning ship
As officers investigated, Petty Officer First Class Wichit Pukdeelon, using his camera to inspect the ship, saw four cats hanging from a structure. He immediately went to her rescue, and this time time was against him.
The officer told The Washington Post:
I immediately took off my shirt and put on a life jacket so I could jump into the sea. The flames were in the back of the boat, but she was starting to sink, so he knew he had to be fast.
When the four kittens were on the officers’ ship, a breath of tranquility arose among those present as they watched the ship disappear to the bottom of the sea.
For now, the Navy is contacting related agencies to salvage the ship’s wreckage and prevent environmental damage from spiraling out of control. Oil spills leave great damage to coral reefs and reach the seabed, endangering marine flora and fauna.
The kittens moved up to the command post on the island of Koh Lipe, and now reside in the Royal Thai Navy. The NCO who rescued these four cats was pleased to be able to help them; he was sure they would have drowned or died of thirst if they hadn’t seen them that day.
The group of Navy officers were hailed as “heroes” after the images went viral on social media.
This heroic rescue inspired many people, and some internet users even illustrated the scene as a tribute to the Warrant Officer for his efforts in saving these adorable cats.
Images: Facebook / @RoyalThaiNavyFanpage