NJ Mayor Escorts 'Weak Seal' to Ocean on Makeshift Stretcher
Two New Jersey men and the mayor of Old Bridge, NJ worked together to rescue a weak-looking seal early Friday morning.
Christian Preston, 40, was walking his dog along the water of Raritan Bay when he spotted the seal on the beach.
“It looked like it was in distress,” Preston said.
When Preston stopped to investigate the situation, a nearby fisherman, Jack Padinha, expressed his own concern. The seal was positioned near a washed-up tire, barely moving. It was several yards away from the water, and Preston assumes the animal came in with the tide.
“It lifted its head and seemed really weak,” Preston said. “And that’s when we scoured the beach to look for something to help.”
After finding a piece of wood to use as a stretcher for the seal, the men carefully brought the animal to the edge of the water, where they waited until it found the strength to swim away.
During this time, Mayor Owen Henry received a text message about the seal. He came down to the waterfront to assess the situation for himself, and stayed until the seal returned to the water.
“It was really nice to see that the local mayor was looking out or the little guy,” Preston said.
Later in the day, Preston received an email from Henry thanking him for taking action to protect the local wildlife.
“On behalf of all our animal lovers including myself here in Old Bridge I want to commend Jack and you or your act of kindness,” Henry wrote. “We need more people like you!”
Photo Credit: Natalie Chinn
from NBC New York - Top Stories https://ift.tt/2V7jdkf
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