On their way to school by boat on Tuesday morning, a group of students from the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, noticed something.
An animal was in trouble, struggling in the ocean far from shore.
Boat skipper Jean Claude Mendes decided to take action after being informed of the sighting and urged by the children on board. To obtain a better look, he circled the vessel.
Then, he and his young passengers noticed that the creature was a wild kitten that had ended up stranded in the ocean between the island and the mainland.
The little ocelot started swimming toward the boat as it stopped. Mendes was able to save her by scooping her up with the children’s assistance.
Here is that moment on video:
Mendes and his buddies carried the ocelot kitten to dry land on the bank it had been swimming towards. Hopefully, her mother was waiting there after arriving at the seaside earlier.
Meanwhile, authorities have been keeping an eye on the area.
“The region is the species’ natural habitat and, as it was not injured, returning it in the same direction was important,” according to Environmental Police, Sergeant Augusto.
It was an unforgettable moment that Mendes and the students experienced.
“She was swimming desperately,” Mendes later said. “It was nice to rescue her with the help of the kids, who helped hold the paddle.”
