A cat who survived a deadly 400ft fall that killed her owners has been adopted by the rescue pilot who found her.
Matthew Nannen, 45, and Bailee Crane, 58, allegedly climbed over a railing on the edge of a huge cliff at a national park before plunging into a ravine.
Emergency services rushed to the scene where they found a pet carrier covered in dirt.
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At first, they thought it was just a backpack.
But inside was the couple’s 12-year-old tabby cat, who had survived the 380ft drop.
Both Matthew and Bailee died in the fall.
“We couldn’t believe the cat was alive,” Chelsea Tugaw, a search and rescue pilot on duty that day, told Need To Know.
“I thought she was injured, and I was uncertain of her future.“
The feline was rushed to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary where vets discovered cracked ribs and broken teeth.
Thankfully, she had no life-threatening injuries.
Rescue staff decided to name her Mirage after the almost surreal nature of her survival – but her fight wasn’t over.
Days later, Mirage began breathing heavily and further tests revealed a dangerous buildup of fluid in her chest – a delayed trauma response.
She was rushed to a specialist hospital where she once again beat the odds and pulled through.
A spokesman for the shelter said: “It didn’t take long for caregivers to fall in love with Mirage.
“With her gentle spirit and affectionate nature, she quickly won over everyone.
“Despite all she had been through, she remained incredibly loving – nuzzling up for attention and purring loudly whenever someone reached out to pet her.”
And in a twist of fate, Chelsea, the search-and-rescue pilot who first discovered Mirage at the canyon site, later returned to adopt her.
She said: “I felt there was a special connection with us rescuing her.
“I’m so ecstatic to be taking Mirage home.
“I hope I can give her the perfect retirement life and let her be a nice lazy cat in her old age.
“I just hope she knows she’s going to a really loving home.”
A spokesman for Best Friends Animal Sanctuary said: “Mirage’s journey is a reminder that even in the darkest moments, love can light the way to a new beginning.”
Mirage was found in a ravine near Inspiration Point at Bryce Canyon National Park on 29 April.
It is a popular viewpoint offering a panoramic view of the Bryce Amphitheater’s hoodoos, the world’s largest collection of rock spires, in Utah, US.
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