A whisker away from death! The moment cat chose to cling to sinking tuna boat rather than get his feet wet after explosion and SURVIVED



A pair of fearless felines have once and for all refuted the myth that cats are deathly afraid of water by jumping into the ocean off Oregon and swimming to safety after their owners’ tuna boat had sunk.

When the engine of their tuna vessel exploded last week, owners Mark and Cynthia Schneider had no choice but to abandon ship and leave behind their two cats, a 1-year-old tabby named Jasper and a 4-year-old calico named Topaz.

After being rescued by a nearby boat, they were stunned when they looked out at their sinking boat and saw Jasper on the bow. Topaz was in the ocean and eventually swam through the debris to safety on the rescue boat.

Hanging on: In this August 5, 2013 photo released by Mark Schneider, a cat named Jasper sits on top of a sinking tuna boat off of the Oregon coast about 80 miles from Newport

Jasper remained stranded at sea on the bow. As the boat sank deeper into the ocean, he was forced to jump in and swim toward his owners about 100 yards away. The cat made it to safety unharmed.

‘They've got pretty good survival instincts,’ Mr Schneider said.

The 60-foot Sea Princess departed from Winchester Bay in late July and sank 80 miles off the coast August 5.



The Schneiders, who have been fishing together for 27 years, lost their boat, $40,000 worth of albacore tuna and most of their possessions. The story was first reported by KPTV of Bend.

Schneider, 52, said he checked the engine room about 45 minutes before the explosion and nothing seemed amiss.

Survivors: Mark and Cynthia Schneider had to abandon ship and jump into the ocean after the engine of their tuna boat exploded

Team: The married couple have been fishing together for albacore tuna for 27 years

Tough choice: Mark Schneider kept calling for their cats, but his wife urged him to get into a survival suit and escape to safety

Then the engine backfired several times before a blast that tore off the side of the boat. The Schneiders suffered flash burns to their faces, but did not require hospitalization.

Aftermath: Cynthia Schneider suffered flash burns to her face from the blast

According to Mr Schneider, the blast was likely caused by a leak in the diesel tank.

Not immediately realizing the extent of the damage, he headed to the engine room to assess the situation. When he looked over his shoulder, he saw ocean and sky where there should have been hull.

Water started pouring in, and he and Cynthia knew it was time to abandon ship - but not without Jasper and Topaz.

‘I kept calling for the kitties and calling for the kitties, but I'm sure they were traumatized by the blast and didn't know what the heck was going on,’ Schneider said. ‘Cynthia finally snapped me out of that and said: “We gotta get off the boat. We gotta get off the boat. Get in your survival suit.”’

The couple went overboard and spent 15 to 20 minutes in the water before they were rescued by their friend and fishing partner Rick Goche.

Goche, who was also fishing for tuna at the time about a mile and a half away, arrived at the scene of the sinking 15 minutes later - just in time to rescue the Schneiders and scoop their cats out of the water, The World reported.



Mark Schneider said the bow of the boat was a natural spot of refuge for Jasper.

‘When we were in port he would just sit up there on the bow and watch the seagulls and people walk by on the dock,’ Schneider said. ‘That was kind of a secret hiding place for him, and I'm sure that's where he went when he didn't feel safe.’

Next move: With the Sea Princess now resting at the bottom of the ocean, the Schneiders are planning to buy a new boat

Safe and sound: Jasper and Topaz appeared happy to be on dry land after their harrowing adventure on the high seas

The couple lives in Central Oregon when they are not at sea, and were there Wednesday as they try to figure out their next move.

They sold their old boat a few summers ago to upgrade to the larger Sea Princess, a wooden boat built in 1924 that provided more stability in choppy seas and had more storage capacity.