Incredible moment cat survives fall from the top of stadium as fans catch it using American flag

Cats really do have nine lives. A stray cat dropped several levels at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami and miraculously lived to tell the tale, using at least one of its nine lives. The nerve-wracking incident took place during the first quarter of Miami's game against Appalachian State on Saturday. Alarming videos of the cat's fall and eventual rescue show the feline struggling as it dangled from a wire that was just below the upper deck railing of the stadium. When the cat ultimately lost its hold on the wire and fell to the ground, its fall was broken by an American flag held aloft by some quick-thinking fans.

In one video posted on TikTok by user @dylan_marinov, the person filming the incident is heard yelling out of fear for the cat's safety. "Cats have 9 lives I guess," Dylan captioned the video. Although the cat briefly bounced off the flag upon its fall, it was immediately picked up by some adjacent students. 

The audience went wild at the rescue before stadium security personnel removed the black-and-white cat from the premises. Meanwhile, the feline can be seen trying to claw its way free as it was lifted up to the sky by fans. The video, originally posted in September 2021, has since racked up over 3.2 million likes with many commenters leaving funny notes about what the cat must have been thinking.

TikTok user @steph_covers stated that the cat was more entertaining than the match itself. Meanwhile, @Lorelai9090 commented: "He survived the fall but had a heart attack due to the noise and agitation." The video was shared on YouTube as well, with many users commenting, grateful that the cat was caught on time. YouTube user Julia Red commented, "The amount of blood that dried in my body while watching this video is unimaginable." User Krishna Mohan wrote: "Cat at work on next Monday: You guys won't believe the kind of crazy weekend I had." Another netizen commented, "The cat: 'man just lemme fall y'all are so creepy.'"

"They were trying to grab it from above and they couldn't reach it but they were scaring it downward," Craig Cromer, a facilities manager at the University of Miami and season-ticket holder told USA TODAY about the events at the game. He and his wife Kimberly Cromer bring the flag to each game. "It hung there for a little while with its two front paws, then one paw, then I was like, 'Oh my goodness, it's coming soon.'"

Meanwhile, Manny Diaz—the head coach of Miami—said that he found out about the cat after the Hurricanes defeated Appalachian State 25–23. "I don't know anything about that or what was going on," Diaz said. "But I'll tell you, if the cat will help us in our red-zone offense I'm going to see if we can give it a scholarship."

There were no visible signs of injuries on the cat. The Cromers were alright too, save for a beverage that was spilled and getting sprayed by the hanging cat. "Strangest thing that's ever happened at a game," Kimberly Cromer said.