RICHMOND, British Columbia (CNN) — Some tourists in British Columbia got a bit of a scare when a sea lion grabbed a little girl and dragged her into the water.
Michael Fujiwara was sitting on a dock at the Steveston Fisherman's Wharf in Richmond, British Columbia on Saturday, when the California sea lion popped its head out of the water.
Fujiwara grabbed his phone and started shooting video.
He said the animal attracted a lot of attention and the girl and her family came to the edge of the dock.
"Her family started feeding the animal and the sea lion started to become comfortable," Fujiwara said. In the video, you can hear people laughing and whistling at the sea lion and holding their hands over the water, as if they were holding a treat.
At one point, the sea lion lunges within inches of the little girl's face. It seems like a friendly move, and the girl cackles with delight.
That glee turns to terror a few seconds later, when the seal lunges again, grabbing the girl and yanking her backwards into the water.
A man, who Fujiwara thinks was a relative, jumps in after her and bystanders pull them to safety.
"After being pulled back onto the dock, the family quickly walked away from the area without saying much," Fujiwara said. "They were probably very shaken up and just wanted to get away from the sea lion as fast as possible."
Bob Baziuk, the general manager of the Steveston Harbour Authority, told CNN that the girl and her rescuer were not hurt, and that he is trying to get more information about the incident.
He said the harbor is on the sea lions' migratory route and that males sometimes swim into the area looking for free food.
Baziuk said that they've been warning visitors not to feed the animals for years.
"It's not Sea World. It's a place where you buy fish," Baziuk said. "If you feed the animals like this you're asking for trouble."
Ladies and gentlemen, take my advice - pull down your pants and slide on the ice. ʘ ͜ʖ ʘ
Posts: 4954 | Location: Highland, UT | Registered: September 14, 2006
Quick reaction by the rescuer. Many people would have just stood there in shock.
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“Most men … can seldom accept the simplest and most obvious truth if it … would oblige them to admit the falsity of conclusions … which they have woven, thread by thread, into the fabrics of their lives.” — Leo Tolstoy
Posts: 48071 | Location: 10,150 Feet Above Sea Level in Colorado | Registered: April 04, 2002
Originally posted by Bulldog7972: What I want to know is if Yellow Jackets picture is legit
It's an effective ad for whatever type of glass that is. (And an indication that that particular lion might benefit from bigger portions at mealtimes.....)
RE: the sea lion. I think if the sea lion had intended harm, harm would have been done. I don't think grabbing and drowning is sea lion feeding behavior. Crocs etc. may drown terrestial prey by dragging them into the water, but sea lions eat fish and other seafood, which are notoriously hard to drown.
The kiddie - even if unlikely to have wound up having been dined on - was definitely in danger of drowning and she was lucky to have been watched and rescued.
Wild animals are not toys.
Posts: 15255 | Location: North Carolina | Registered: October 15, 2007
There is a longer clip where one of the female tourists tells the group to stop feeding the sea lion.
This is an animal that can weigh up to 700+ lbs with a mean bite. If it wants to pull you over the edge, it's going to. He was just teaching the stupid humans a lesson.
What someone really needs to do is get the long version of the clip and put it to the music from JAWs.
That sea lion was just playing. Unfortunately wild animals playing can be dangerous to people. Parents are to blame here. There where signs things might go bad but they just let the kid sit on the side of that dock.
Good reaction from the guy that jumped in when everyone else just stood around.
Years ago when I was a lifeguard I pulled more kids out of the water with parents right there because they didn't think there was any danger.
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Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain. Jack Kerouac
(And an indication that that particular lion might benefit from bigger portions at mealtimes.....)
