For those who seem to have taken offence at my comment:

[yagotme]

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/like-rats-leaving-a-sinking-ship
"used to refer to people leaving a place, organization, activity, etc. very quickly and in large numbers, because it is failing in some way:"

https://questionstoknow.com/why-do-rats-jump-off-a-ship#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20saying%20about%20%EE%80%80rats%EE%80%81%20%EE%80%80leaving%EE%80%81%20a,to%20abandon%20a%20%EE%80%80ship%EE%80%81%20when%20it%20is%20sinking.
"The original setting for the fleeing rats was a decrepit house, one that was on the verge of falling down. Both rats and mice, in the 16th century, were said to have the ability to know when a structure was on the verge of collapse, and would accordingly decamp some time before this happened."
"Rats have been said to be the first to sense an impending disaster, such as a sinking ship or a gas leak in a mine - so if rats are seen leaving it's a good idea to follow!"

https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/like-rats-fleeing-a-sinking-ship-history
"The original setting for the fleeing rats was a decrepit house, one that was on the verge of falling down. Both rats and mice, in the 16th century, were said to have the ability to know when a structure was on the verge of collapse, and would accordingly decamp some time before this happened. By the early 17th century the behavior of the rats begins to see use as a simile."