Local

Jacksonville highway crash leads to improbable cat rescue

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A tractor-trailer crash on Interstate 10 that caused a highway shutdown for several hours on Monday, Feb. 6 led to an unlikely cat rescue.

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Action News Jax first told you about a semi-truck crashing into the concrete divider resulting in a fuel spill. Traffic was backed up for several hours as crews cleaned up at least 40 gallons of fuel.

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However, the story of a husband and wife feline rescue also took place as an indirect result of the accident on Monday.

“There was an accident on I-10 near the McDuff exit yesterday afternoon which had traffic backed up pretty badly,” Brittany Brown said. “My husband and I were sitting under the overpass of I-95 on I-10 when he spotted a cat in the middle of the retention pond under the overpass.”

The couple were at the right spot at the right time.

Brown said an orange and white tabby cat was sitting against the furthest beam in the middle of the pond.

“I asked my husband what he wanted to do and he said ‘we can’t just leave him here,” Brittany said.

Read: Florida residents rescue cat stuck in storm drain

Her husband, Kelly, thought fast and went into the water, chest deep. He said that the cat was terrified, emaciated and cold.

“As soon as my husband got near the cat, it jumped into the water out of fright and started swimming away,” Brittany said of what happened next.

Her husband was able to swim and catch the cat, bringing him to safety.

Brittany said that they took the cat to their home while she posted on Lost and Found Pets in Jacksonville Facebook page.

Due to the popularity of the post, the owner responded within 12 hours.

The cat’s family had just moved from California and lived an hour away. The cat had never been an outside cat and didn’t know the area.

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Brittany said that the cat’s owner told her he had been missing since Dec. 17, 2022. The owners came and picked up the cat where it’s back home and healthy.