Sea lion who was rescued from highway is euthanized at SeaWorld. ‘Adventurous spirit’

A sea lion rescued from a California highway was euthanized after contracting a “progressive disease,” officials said.

Freeway the sea lion was euthanized on April 20 after contracting a disease at some point before being rescued last year in San Diego, according to a Facebook post by SeaWorld San Diego.

The little traveler had been rescued three times, according to news outlets.

He was first rescued after being spotted around San Diego International Airport on the bay in November 2021, according to NBC News.

He was returned back to the ocean after completing rehabilitation, SeaWorld officials said.

The sea lion was rescued for the second time after wandering the nearby highway, according to a Facebook post by SeaWorld.

Freeway was spotted on Highway 94 about 8 miles from the ocean, KABC reported last year.

“It was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen,” one of the good Samaritans that helped guide Freeway to safety told KABC.

Freeway was released again and then rescued for the final time after being spotted in a “creek roughly a mile from the ocean,” according to NBC News. He was “pulled out of Chollas Creek” and was taken to SeaWorld’s Rescue Center.

Due to Freeway’s declining health that didn’t improve “despite extensive treatment,” veterinarians at SeaWorld San Diego made the decision to “humanely euthanize him,” officials said.

“His adventurous spirit won the hearts of all San Diegans and he will be remembered for that and so much more,” SeaWorld San Diego said.

This story was originally published April 24, 2023 at 2:39 PM with the headline "Sea lion who was rescued from highway is euthanized at SeaWorld. ‘Adventurous spirit’."