A 10-week-old kitten thrown off a Savannah, Georgia bridge Thursday miraculously survived and swam to shore.
Construction workers witnessed the kitten falling from the Diamond Causeway bridge and into the Intracoastal Waterway, and alerted the Savannah-Chatham Marine Patrol. The kitten was rescued by the Marine Patrol and Animal Control.
Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police spokesman Julian Miller said that the kitten, named Nemo by Metro Animal Control Shelter workers, was thrown from a bridge tall enough to allow yachts and other boats to pass under it. Amazingly, Nemo suffered no serious injuries.
"No broken bones," Miller told the Associated Press. "He has several lacerations over and below his eye and his chin."
Nemo became stuck in the mud after he swam onto the waterway's bank. Miller said it would have been nearly impossible to spot the kitten if the construction workers hadn't witnessed the crime.
"The cat is gray, the mud on the bank is gray," Miller explained. "Had they not pointed it out to the Marine Patrol, nobody would have seen him."
Nemo is expected to recover, although he will need some time to warm up to humans.
"The cat is very, very shy right now, and trying to find things to hide under, not very trusting," Miller said. He visited the kitten on Friday. .
When Nemo is ready to be adopted, he should have no trouble finding a home. Several families have expressed interest in adopting him.
"This community goes berserk about animals," Miller stated.
Police have no leads on the person that threw Nemo off the bridge, and are asking the public for help. They encourage anyone with tips on the persons responsible to call Crimestoppers at (912) 234-2020, or text CRIMES (274637) with the keyword CSTOP2020. Crimestoppers tips are anonymous and may qualify for a financial reward.
