‘Purrfect rescue’: Thai navy sailor wins hearts online after rescuing kittens stranded on sinking ship

Four kittens were spotted by navy inspection crew on the sinking ship that caught fire. (Source: nookool.b/ Facebook)

According to local reports, the ship started to sink after it caught fire. Although the ship's crew jumped into the water to escape, they forgot about the feline members.

It’s safe to say that navy guards are used to addressing emergency situation in the middle of the sea. However, in a recent rescue mission, members of Thai Royal Navy jumped into action to help cats and not humans. A series of photos showing Thai navy officials rushing to save the animals who were stuck on a sinking ship in the Andaman Sea are now going viral.

Thai navy sailors braved deep waters to launch a dramatic rescue this week after discovering four ginger kittens had been abandoned on a sinking ship, which had caught fire off the paradise island. The incident came to light after Facebook user Nookool.b posted photos of navy officials plunging into action to help the four cats.

“When Navy sailors approached the burning ship to inspect it for any oil spillage as it began sinking, they noticed four cats stranded on board,” the post read. “They carried each cat on their backs and swam back to the Navy vessel until every cat was rescued.”

Photos show one of the rescuers bringing the cats one by one to the navy boat on his shoulder as his team pulls him in by rope.

 

According to The Nation, Thailand, the felines were on Phamonsin Nava 10 fishing ship, which had earlier caught fire and began to sink about 13 kilometres off Adang Island in Satun.

All eight of the ship’s crew, who had reportedly jumped off the sinking vessel and into the sea before the Navy arrived, were rescued by a passing fishing ship, report added.

Local news outlet Naewna identified the ‘hero’ sailor as Admiral Saai, who holds the position of artilleryman, defense group, 491th Antiaircraft and Coast Guard. He was part of a team that was sent to inspect the site to see if there was any oil spillage after the fire. It was during inspection they spotted a few crew members had been forgotten, hurdling together on a wooden beam.

“I used my camera to zoom in to the boat, and I saw one or two cats popping their heads out,” First-Class Petty Officer Wichit Pukdeelon of the navy’s air and coastal defence division told Reuters.

Apart from being a bit dehydrated, the felines sustained no other injuries, The Thaiger reported.

An update that all the rescued kittens were doing well was later posted on a fan page of the Thai Royal Navy, and the post quickly went viral.