In a stroke of luck, a cat was rescued by a car junkyard worker in Asheville, North Carolina, just moments before the vehicle she had sheltered in was crushed, a local animal rescue group said.

According to Brother Wolf Animal Rescue, which released images of the cat nestled in people’s arms, the junkyard worker paused the crushing to remove the car’s battery, which was when the cat jumped out from under the hood and “into his arms.”

The rescue center, which took custody of the cat, later received a call from the salvage yard, reporting that the owner of the junked car was looking for his pet cat Lilly.

“We learned from him that, despite her small size, Lilly had an adventurous spirit like no other,” the Brother Wolf Animal Rescue wrote.

According to the rescue center, Lilly was vaccinated, microchipped, spayed, and then returned to her owner.

Photos here show Lilly the cat with Brother Wolf Animal Rescue’s caretakers and the reunion with her owner in late February.

Credit: Brother Wolf Animal Rescue via Storyful