A young girl appears to be unharmed after she was suddenly snatched by a sea lion and pulled into the water in Richmond, B.C.
Local resident Michael Fujiwara managed to capture the incident on video footage that has already been viewed online more than two million times.
Fujiwara tells CTV News Channel that he was recording the sea lion when a group of people, including a young girl in a dress, arrived and started feeding it bread crumbs.
“All of a sudden, the sea lion jumped up, grabbed her by the waist and just dragged her down into the water,” he says.
A man who Fujiwara believes is the girl’s grandfather immediately jumped into the water and rescued her.
Fujiwara says he tried talking to the people, but they seemed eager to “move away from the area as soon as possible.”
Fujiwara says the girl, who looked about five or six, seemed unharmed.
“She wasn’t crying or anything,” he said. “She was really shaken up though.”
Fujiwara says sea lions are a common sight in the area, adding “I do not want to get near one anymore.”
Signs warn against feeding
Robert Kiesman, chair of the Steveston Harbour Authority, says there are signs warning about the dangers of feeding the animals.
Kiesman says his staff regularly see this type of “mindless behaviour” and he hopes the video will educate the public about the risks.
He says it is illegal under federal law to feed marine mammals.
“We’re not SeaWorld here,” Kiesman adds. “They shouldn’t be doing this.”
With a report from CTV Vancouver
