Man holding cat jumps between boats in high seas

A Frenchman with a pet cat tucked inside his coat made the daring leap

Video has emerged of the moment a man holding his pet cat makes a daring leap for safety in extreme weather.

Amid high seas and 46 mile per hour winds, Coast Guard footage shows a Frenchman clinging to his boat's riging pole before jumping to the safety of the rescue ship.

The sailor had activated a location beacon seeking help after his boat lost its rigging and rudder around 400 miles south of Cold Bay, Alaska.

The footage was shot from a C-130 Hercules Airplane by the US Coast Guard.