Sea lion found off the beaten path in Washington wilderness, returned to water

A sea lion found itself a long way from the water and in need of some assistance.

Cowlitz County Sheriff's Deputies responded to a report on Sunday that the nearly 600-pound seafaring mammal was in the road outside of Castle Rock, Washington.

Deputies told ABC News they believed the sea lion reached the area after it traveled up a nearby creek from the mouth of the Cowlitz River.

In addition to the sheriff's deputies, the Humane Society and Cowlitz County Public Works staff arrived on the scene and waited until the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife was able to respond with a trailer and staff to capture and relocate the sea lion.

The WDFW staff and deputies directed the sea lion into a transport trailer, which was used to return it to the Columbia River.

ABC News' Benjamin Stein contributed to this report.