Firefighter adopts kitten rescued after falling off Atlantic Beach bridge

ATLANTIC BEACH, N.C. — A kitten that fell off a North Carolina bridge not only survived but has a new home.

Firefighter J.D. Harris and his partner responded to calls that a cat fell off the Atlantic Beach Bridge.

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They spotted the kitten clinging to one of the pillars, then borrowed a boat from good Samaritans and went out and rescued him.

Harris said he's never been a cat person, but knew on the ride back to shore he had to adopt the feline.

"He went from shaking and shivering to getting settled and burying his body into my coat," Harris said.

The cat, appropriately named "Pillar," serves as an inspiration to Harris.

“This little guy, if he can pull through and overcome some of the things he's done -- there's a lesson to be learned there,” Harris said. "He makes me appreciate the little things in life. He's a heck of a character."

Cox Media Group