Seal leads to police callout

The scene that greeted Police in rural Helensville. Photo: Supplied

An adventurous seal lead to a police callout in rural Helensville yesterday afternoon.

At 3.40pm a member of the public called Police to report that a seal was sitting in the middle of Inland Road, at the top of Mackenzie's Hill in Helensville.

Police went to the scene, and found the seal had gone through a fence into farmland, approximately 200 metres off the road.

Department of Conservation staff were also sent to the scene. Two Police officers, DOC staff and two members of public managed to herd the seal into a large crate.

"We eventually managed to get him onto the back of a quad bike and he was then taken up the hill and put into a ute" says Constable Pieter Schutte, Helensville Police.

The seal was then taken to the Rimmer Road entrance of Muriwai Beach and returned to the sea.

But it seems Westie Seal wasn't too pleased about being back home;

"He spent ages walking along the shoreline before he finally went back into the water - I don't think he was very keen for a swim" says Constable Schutte.