SAN DIEGO, CALIF. (WHDH)–SeaWorld rescue crew members in made quite an unusual rescue earlier this week when they saved a sea lion that had been stranded on the median of a California highway miles from the ocean.
Crews responded to the scene after receiving several calls that the animal had been trying to cross the San Diego highway located three from the bay and eight miles from the ocean.
Two good Samaritans helped keep the sea lion in a safe location prior to the arrival of the SeaWorld rescue team.
“We don’t often get a call about a sea lion about a lion on the freeway, so this was kind of an emergency,” said SeaWorld Rescue Team member Eric Otjen. “We got out here as fast as we could.”
Although team members are not sure how the sea lion made it so far away from the ocean, they say it is not the first time they have had to rescue this animal.
“It was in our rescue facility before. It was rescued in early November from Harbor Island Drive, was released shortly after, and it’s been showing up in odd situations and spots since then. This is the weirdest though,” said Otjen.
The sea lion was taken to SeaWorld San Diego to be checked out and cared for.
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