PO1 Wichit Pukdeelon via Reuters
- The navy found the cats huddled together on a wooden beam of the fishing boat, Reuters reported.
- A navy sailor carried them to safety on his shoulders above the water, the Daily Mail added.
- The cats are healthy, suffered no injuries and are being cared for at a navy command post, Sky News noted.
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Thai navy sailors have rescued four kittens from a burning, sinking fishing boat in the Andaman Sea.
The Phamonsin Nava 10 fishing boat caught fire and began to sink, eight miles from Koh Adang island on Tuesday, the BBC reported.
All eight crew members jumped into the sea and were rescued by a passing fishing boat, local paper, The Nation added.
The navy, called to inspect the site for an oil spill, discovered the cats huddled together on a wooden beam, according to Reuters.
First-Class Petty Officer Wichit Pukdeelon of the navy’s Air and Coastal Defence Division told Reuters: “I used my camera to zoom in to the boat, and I saw one or two cats popping their heads out.”
PO1 Wichit Pukdeelon via Reuters
A sailor, identified by the Daily Mail as 23-year-old Thatsaphon Saii from the navy's Air and Coastal Defence Command Operation Unit 491, carried the animals to safety on his shoulders, with his team helping by pulling him in by rope.
He told the Mail: "I immediately took off my shirt and put on a life jacket so I could jump into the sea. The flames were at the back of the boat but it was starting to sink, so I knew I had to be quick.
"I'm so relieved that we were able to save the kittens. They would have drowned or died of thirst if they went into the sea," Saii added.
People on social media have hailed the rescue. The Thai sailors have become online celebrities alongside the felines, with people even creating and sharing fan art online.
—pan (@pan3210) March 3, 2021
The cats are healthy, suffered no injuries, and are being cared for at the navy command post on the island of Koh Lipe, Sky News noted.