[CAT] "Alberta flooding: Momo the cat ‘is a survivor’"

[rfmcdonald]

The Toronto Star article illustrating Jordan Verlage's photo of a man and his cat who escaped a flooded truck in Alberta is heartwarming.

Yeats jumped. The water was frigid, moving fast and full of debris. It was also deep — he didn’t hit bottom when he splashed under. Within seconds the truck disappeared.

Momo was well on her way, heading to an area about 25 metres away, where trees promised safety. But was a difficult swim for Yeats, a 21-year-old arborist in good shape.

“Momo was giving it everything she had,” he said. “I didn’t know if she could swim that far.”

Struggling to the side, they finally made it, Momo sprinting to the nearest tree, Yeats following to check on her as several bystanders rushing to help.

“She was not happy,” Yeats told the Star Friday, laughing. “She’s had better days.”

Then he turned around and surveyed the scene. About a dozen abandoned cars strewn about. His truck had vanished. Some were crying, others were consoling. They huddled on the banks of the river.

Within minutes someone had found a small crate, where Momo sought refuge, and began to settle down.

Jordan Verlage, a photographer with The Canadian Press, came over to talk to Yeats, who was shirtless at that point. Verlage had just captured the entire scene in a series of dramatic photos that went viral online: Yeats and Momo in the back of the truck, then Momo drenched, ears back, eyes focused, with Yeats behind her, both swimming fiercely.

Both man and cat are fine.