In today’s episode of headlines you just couldn’t make up we introduce a hero captain and his meerkat cargo.
Skipper Tom Sexton stripped to his boxers to rescue a meerkat called Boris confused itself for a Lemming and jumped 30ft off the side of the boat.
Luckily Boris survived the jump from the Gry Maritha when it arrived in port at Penzance, Cornwall.
His escape bid was not alone – his travelling companion Doris had managed to escape their cat cage and made a bid for freedom.
She was caught, but Boris made his bid for freedom.
They were both on their way to Axe Valley Zoo in Axminster, Devon, after being transported from the Isles of Scilly.
Tom, 33, said: ‘I think the owner originally had four of them in a sort of little petting zoo at his council house.
‘Two of them were in this cat carrier style box but managed to figure out how to break out while we were sailing.
‘The two of them were just running around the deck, but there were all kinds of cars and crates they kept hiding under so we decided to leave it until we got into port.
‘Eventually after mooring we all got out brooms and gloves and the five of us started running around the deck trying to catch them.
‘We managed to get the first one, but the second one jumped overboard. I was actually pretty impressed at how good a swimmer he was, but he seemed to be in a bit of trouble.
‘I decided I’d jump in and grab him so I stripped off down to my boxers and put on some gloves to go get him, I knew they could be quite nippy.
‘I was surprised how easy it was to get him though. We then put him back in his box and hoisted him back onto the deck.’
