A dopey beachgoer sparked panic over a stricken seal only for rescuers to find it was actually a large rock.
The member of the public was concerned over the sea mammal’s safety.
A vet and two volunteers scanned the beach but couldn’t find it.
- Advertisement -
And when they asked the caller for an exact location, they realised it was a large, seal-shaped rock.
The misunderstanding happened in Cleethorpes, Lincs, on Sunday (11 May).
The rescuers have now named the boulder Dwayne, after wrestler and film star Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, as reported by What’s The Jam.
A spokesperson for Cleethorpes Wildlife Rescue said: “Should’ve gone to Specsavers.
“This afternoon three marine life volunteers from our team including a marine mammal vet headed over to Cleethorpes beach.
- Advertisement -
“To investigate a call about a seal in distress.
“We must agree that from a distance it looked suspiciously seal-like.
“But it was a rock.
- Advertisement -
“A very healthy, very stationary, very unbothered rock.
“Naturally we’ve named it Dwayne.
“The tide has since returned Dwayne to the estuary presumably to continue the important work of sitting very still.
“Seal count – zero.
“Dignity – also zero.
“Stand down team.”
Locals were sympathetic to the boulder blunder.
Julie Butt said: “Ive seen this too.
“I asked a boy who was on the beach to check.
“I thought it was a seal too.”
Karen Thistlethwaite added: “We saw that too.
“Must admit I had to keep looking as I was convinced it was a seal.”
While Ursula Kiedyk said: “Better to be safe than sorry.”
READ MORE: Swimmer reunited with Garmin sports watch lost at sea after it’s found floating 150 miles away
