Sea lion rescued after fall from bridge onto PCH in Laguna Beach

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- Animal experts rescued and are treating a young sea lion that climbed up on and then fell off a pedestrian bridge onto Pacific Coast Highway in Laguna Beach.

Monday night, the sea lion climbed up the Aliso Beach pedestrian bridge at Aliso Circle that crosses South Coast Highway, according to Laguna Beach police.

It sat on the bridge for about 40 minutes and then at one point moved to the south wall and fell or jumped off on the inland side.

It fell onto PCH, but some bushes and branches cushioned the impact, according to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center.

Passersby helped take care of the sea lion and police redirected traffic as Laguna Beach Animal Services and PMMC staff helped the sea lion and then brought it to the PMMC facility.

They named the sea lion Lords-a-Leaping.

The PMMC said radiographs showed the sea lion did not break anything in the fall.

"This is one seriously lucky sea lion," the center wrote on Instagram.