VIDEO: Fans Save Falling Cat with Help of American Flag at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium

Fan video captured the moment a cat was saved with the help of an American flag after it fell from the second deck of Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Onlookers gasped in horror as a cat clung to a wire that hung the ledge of the upper deck at Hardrock Stadium. For over 20 seconds the cat dangled from the wire and attempted to pull its way back up to safety. In an instance where the cat lost its balance, it began free-falling in what seemed to be the animal’s final moments.

The crowd erupted in screams of horror as the cat plunged. In an unexpected and relieving twist, the cat landed on an outstretched American flag which was held open in rescue efforts by fans on the field level. It does not appear that the cat was secured in the flag, but the flag played a critical role in breaking the animal’s fall.

A fan picked up the cat, which was alive, and cheerfully showcased him to Hard Rock Stadium in a similar fashion to how Mufasa presented Simba to Pride Rock in Disney’s “The Lion King.” The crowd then broke out with cheers and applause.

The ordeal was captured from a number of different angles:

Hard Rock Stadium’s Twitter account shared the staff’s relief that the cat was okay and jokingly wished it well, “in his remaining eight lives.” The account also encouraged followers to donate to Miami’s Humane Society.