An 83-year-old woman went missing in Cornwall, England, and the search crew had nearly given up when someone heard meowing. The cat was on the edge of the ravine that the woman had fallen into. 

Piran, the woman’s black cat, helped lead a neighbor right to the woman. “Without the cat waiting at the gate to that field, it could have been hours later that I or anyone else would have checked there,” the neighbor, Tamar Longmuir, told Sky News.

Typically, black cats are considered signs of bad luck. Piran, however, is being hailed a hero by the search team. Police say the woman survived a 70-foot fall into a steep ravine near her home. Thanks to the cat’s persistent calls, the rescue crews were able to locate the woman and get her to a hospital in stable condition. 

“Whilst the lady concerned is still currently receiving care, she is in good spirits and is being well looked after,” wrote the Bodmin Police in a Facebook post. “Piran the cat saved the day!”

An eyewitness to the rescue efforts said that finding the woman was all thanks to Piran. “It’s a massive ‘well done’ to all the emergency services who worked together and to Piran,” the witness said. “The outcome could have been a lot worse.”

Image source: CBS News