FILE - A cat rescued from a boat after its owner was found deceased aboard. (Martin County Sheriff's Office Facebook )
A terrified cat that was hiding in a boat after its owner died was finally rescued over the weekend.
Investigators from the Stuart Police Department in Florida were called out to a sailboat after being notified that a man was deceased on board.
Unfortunately, the man, who lived on the boat with his cat, was deceased for more than a week when his body was discovered, according to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) Facebook page.
FILE - Officers Tabitha Queen and Shannon McGee from the Martin County Sheriff's Office Animal Services. (Martin County Sheriff's Office Facebook )
While aboard the boat, officers found the boat owner’s cat and attempted to remove the animal, but it was too terrified and "unwilling to be taken out," the sheriff’s office said.
The MCSO’s Animal Services were called out to the boat and officers Tabitha Queen and Shannon McGee donned personal protective equipment and managed to safely remove the cat from the vessel.
The cat was taken to the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast where it will be checked for any medical issues, according to the sheriff’s office.
If no family comes in to claim the cat, it will be put up for adoption.
This story was reported from Los Angeles.