A man who spotted a kitten in the middle of a freeway, pulled over and rushed to rescue it from oncoming traffic.
Zak Gertlar and his wife Whitney were on their way to an adventure race in Muskegon, Michigan, when Zak abruptly pulled over to the median.
Without saying a word, he got out and proceeded to wait fro the traffic to ease before rushing into the middle of the freeway and grabbing something off the tarmac.
As he strolled back to the vehicle, it quickly became apparent he was clutching a tiny kitten, who had become stranded in the middle of the busy road.
Whitney, who began filming after he husband got out of the vehicle, said: “Zak is not only a hero, he is humble. It is not an everyday occurrence that your husband rescues a cat on the highway!”
RELATED: Kitten Rescued From Storm Drain After Being Hit By Car
Speaking of the buildup to the video showing Zak rescuing the kitten, Whitney said: “Zak saw a kitten tumble a couple of times beneath a car as the car passed.
“That’s when Zak decided right then and there that he should try to save the kitten.
“While Zak pulled over to the median, he thought to himself that the kitten was going to die and get run over if he didn’t save it and that even though he doesn’t want another kitten as we have two cats and a dog already.
“I began filming because I thought it was a good idea to.
“When Zak made sure there was no traffic coming towards him, he ran to the kitten in the middle of the left-hand lane and picked up the kitten, who was lying still in the middle of the road.
RELATED: Dog Missing For 11 Days Reunited With Family After Being Rescued From Mineshaft
“At first, the kitten was hissing and crying but it didn’t try to run away when Zak picked it up. Zak carried the kitten to the car, and we contacted the nearest vet.”
Whitney says they are not sure how the cat came to be stranded in the middle of the road.
She said: “Why was the kitten on the freeway? Did someone toss the kitten onto the road or leave it near the road to die? Was it hiding in the car axle when it fell out? Was it feral or was it someone’s pet? We just do not know.”
Thankfully, after rushing the kitten – who they have since named Axel, thanks to his lucky escape from the vehicles on the freeway – to a vet surgery, he was given a clean bill of health apart from a few minor abrasions to his paws, nose, and head.
The family are now caring for Axel at their home, alongside their other pets.
