Water rescue team helps cat stranded next to river in London

June 9 (UPI) -- A water rescue team came to the assistance of a cat spotted stranded on a vanishing piece of land next to a high river wall in London.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution, a British water rescue charity, said the Chiswick Lifeboat team rushed into action Sunday afternoon when a black cat was spotted stranded on a piece of land that was slowly being consumed by the rising water level of the River Thames.

The RNLI said crews often conduct rescues on dogs that are "usually glad to see their human rescuers," but the cat displayed "very different behavior."

"This cat greeted the crew by snarling and spitting, and then tried to climb the sheer wall. He then wriggled out of the clutches of RNLI crewman Mark Pusey and started swimming away," the group said.

Pussey was able to wade out into the water and wrap the cat in a blanket for safe transport back to shore.

The cat was released on dry land, where rescuers said it quickly ran off, "pursued by a dog."