POCATELLO — Firefighters and an animal control officer saved a cat on Sunday that had apparently been thrown into the Portneuf River.

A city resident reported the adult female cat fighting for her life in the river’s frigid and fast-moving waters near Old Town around 5 p.m.

Pocatello Animal Control Officer Sam Clark and the Fire Department responded and found the cat in the concrete river channel at North Grant Avenue and West Wyeth Street. The feline was clinging to an island of concrete in the river and her loud distressed meows could be heard from at least 50 yards away.

Capt. Ryan O’Hearn, firefighter Stan Tharp and driver Ken Bowman of the Pocatello Fire Department arrived on the scene with Clark and lowered a ladder into the concrete river channel. They then retrieved the cat and wrapped it in a blanket.

The cat was already suffering from hypothermia when rescued and if it had remained in the river channel for much longer it would have died, Clark said.

The cat had her owner’s name on her collar and Clark was able to track down that individual, who resides on North Grant Avenue a few blocks from where the cat was found in the river. The cat, named Milo, was returned to her home by Clark and is expected to make a full recovery.

Clark said that people, usually kids, often throw cats into the river and this is what he believes happened to Milo.

Because of the cold water temperature and fast current of the river, Milo was very lucky to have survived, Clark said.

Clark encourages people to provide some identification on their pets so that they can be easily returned to their owners if they end up in a situation like Milo experienced on Sunday.

Clark urges pet owners to get their animals microchipped at the Pocatello Animal Shelter because he says that’s the best way to provide your dog or cat with the proper ID.