Sheriff's deputies save injured sea lion

CALIFORNIA -- Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s Harbor Patrol deputies helped rescuers save an injured sea lion this morning about a quarter mile outside the harbor entrance.

The sea lion had fishing line wrapped around its neck, and the wounds were infected, said Sgt. John Hollenbeck. The Harbor Patrol office received multiple reports over the past few weeks about the sea lion, which had been spotted on the bell buoy off Corona del Mar.

“When this sort of thing happens, we assist the Pacific Marine Mammal Center by taking their staff out on our boats and helping them try to capture the injured animal so they can treat it,” he said. A rescue attempt last week failed when the sea lion swam away, he said.

“The situation was becoming critical because the line was cutting deep into the sea lion’s neck and becoming badly infected,” he said. “If left untreated, the infection would soon become fatal, so it was vital to catch him today. ”

Sick animals can be skittish and aggressive and very difficult to capture, he said, and several approaches this morning were unsuccessful because the sea lion jumped into the water when the Harbor Patrol boat came too close to the buoy.

Pacific Marine Mammal Center staff suggested they let the sea lion get used to the boat, Hollenbeck said, so the fireboat made several close passes to the buoy without trying to catch him.

“Once the sea lions became accustomed to this, we threw out nets, ensnared him, and wrestled him onto the deck of the fireboat and into a large dog crate – an operation that took three PMMC members and three deputies to complete,” Hollenbeck said.

The sea lion will be nursed to health at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center’s Laguna Beach facility and eventually will be released.

To show thanks for the assistance, the center will name the sea lion after Laguna Beach police officer Jon Coutchie, who was killed in the line of duty on Sept. 21, Hollenbeck said.

“His vitals are really good,” she said. He will be released after several weeks of care, she said.

The rescue, she said, was difficult, although the organization acquired a boat last year in order to save animals who haven’t made it to the beach.

“It’s what we do,” she said. “When animals like this are in trouble, we come to their aid.”

UPDATE: The sea lion is resting comfortably after PMMC staff sedated him and removed the fishing line from his neck, Hollenbeck said.  Melissa L. Sciacca, a spokeswoman for the Pacific Marine Mammal Center, said the sea lion was a male about 3 to 4 years old and was about 100 pounds underweight.

(Corona Del Mar Today - Oct 4, 2013)