A deaf cat was rescued in the nick of time after falling 40 feet into the River Mersey, with the tide about to come in and the sun setting.

Ollie, a one-year-old, was seen on a small section of concrete in the river at Priory Wharf by a member of the public on Tuesday April 13.

With the light fading and the water ready to rise, RSPCA inspector Leanne Cragg called for support from Merseyside Fire and Rescue.

Using a boat to get close and then a water sled to approach Ollie, a marine rescue unit approached the feline, who reportedly meowed and gratefully climbed into his rescuer’s arms.

Ms Cragg took Ollie to the vet for a thorough evaluation, but he showed no signs of injury.

“It was a fantastic team effort and I am so grateful to Merseyside Fire and Rescue for their help,” said Ms Cragg.

“I was concerned for the cat’s safety as I knew the tide was about to come in and it gets very high in that area and it was also getting dark.

“There was no safe route down to get to Ollie so the fire crew suggested using their specialist water team who did a great job.

“As the firefighter got close Ollie moved towards him and meowed and was happy to get into his arms, he knew he was going to be safe.

“He is a very lucky cat, it was such a big fall and to come through the whole incident unscathed is amazing.”

Ollie’s owner Emma Tarpey, 26, said: “I think he certainly lost one of his nine lives during this incident and as he doesn’t go out much we are going to keep him as a house cat to protect him, especially as he is deaf.

“I am so grateful to everyone who helped in the rescue.

“The RSPCA and fire crews were fantastic and I am just grateful to the person who spotted him and reported the incident.”