That’s one courageous critter.
A Reno raccoon is lucky to be alive after taking matters into its own paws to escape Nevada floodwaters — with footage capturing the baby beast leaping into a raging torrent and swimming for its life.
The drama went down near Reno’s Wingfield Park as a downpour flooded the Truckee River and turned the grounds into roiling rapids on Sunday.
Resident Wills Wade was watching the storm from his balcony when he saw the baby raccoon rocket onto the scene.
“I watched him come flying out of the storm drain into the river and perfectly washed up on the rock,” Wade told the Reno Gazette Journal.
With the waters raging, Wade was unable to help the small raccoon — and had no choice but to look on as the furry dumpster diver faced its fate.
“We have to save it!” somebody was heard saying in footage Wade took.
“We can’t save it,” he replied.
“No! Don’t let it die!” the other person said back.
All the while, the raccoon was pacing about its tiny island in the storm — then, steeling itself, sprang headlong into the frothing waters.
“No way!” the onlookers said, in evident awe.
“Oh, he’s getting swept!”
The raccoon was instantly wiped away by the rushing water, then was seen paddling with its paws for a few moments before being lost from view under an overhanging tree.
Wade rushed downstairs to see what had become of the critter — and found it had made it across the river to safety.
“I went downstairs and outside to make sure he was okay,” Wade told the Gazette, “and saw he had shaken himself off and was resting.”
Reno saw hail and just over half an inch of rain amidst heavy thunderstorms Sunday — enough to raise the Truckee River by about two feet.
All that water means the raccoon could still be ringing itself out from its daring dash.
