A FISHERMAN on his way to work in Crookhaven got the surprise of his life when he came face-to-face with a frightened seal pup in the middle of the road.
Edgars Bokums said everyone knows that fishermen and seals are not the best of friends, but there was no way he could leave the confused pup to its fate on the narrow country road.
It was after turning a corner near the beach that Edgars saw the seal looking helpless and afraid.
Edgars, who is originally from Latvia, but is now living in Schull, was travelling to Crookhaven to where he moors his boat over winter.
It was about 7.30am – just as it was getting light – on the morning of Thursday, January 22nd.
He used one fish box to cover the seal and another to scoop it up and bring it back to the shore, 100m away.
Edgars wasn’t worried about approaching the seal, but he did take care not to be bitten.
‘I’m happy I did it,’ said the fishermen who promptly sent a photograph on his phone to his wife, Leva, and their kids, Joshua (10) and Marcus (5).
The 10-year-old was sceptical, believing it to have been Photoshopped, but young Marcus wanted his dad to bring it home.
‘I’ve never seen anything like this before,’ said Edgar.
‘I’ve seen lots of seals around the shore but never on the road like that.’
A couple of months before Christmas, Edgars and Leva did, however, have another close encounter.
They saw a ‘reindeer’ in the middle of the road at Ardraly, about 5km outside Skibbereen, antlers and all!
Locals confirmed there is a herd of about 20 deer in the area and one person sent The Southern Star a photograph of a recent sighting.
When Edgar was asked if he is aware of the Irish expression, ‘These things happen in threes,’ he asked a question of his own, ‘Should I be ready for another surprise?’
