The shocking moment a sea lion grabs a girl from a pier

The sea lion grabs the girl's dress. Photo / Michael Fujiwara via Jukin Media

A sea lion was swimming slowly by a wharf in Canada.

Gobbling down bits of food, it seemed friendly to people on Steveston Fisherman's Wharf in Richmond.

A young girl tries to get a closer look and the sea lion grabs her dress as she sits down and pulls her backwards into the water.

A quick-thinking man jumps into the water to save her.

The sea lion looks at the girl just before she tries to sit down. Photo / Michael Fujiwara via Jukin Media

The Vancouver Sun reports that the video was posted to YouTube by Vancouver's Michael Fujiwara.

It says the sea lion was probably drawn by the fish in the area.

Fujiwara told the Vancouver Sun: "I was just sitting by the dock and then this sea lion popped its head out of the water just in front of me. I just took out my cellphone and started filming," he said.

"The sea lion actually attracted a lot of attention from the visitors there, including the young girl. She and her family, I guess, they came, they started feeding the animal bread crumbs or whatever it was, and then I guess the animal got a little too comfortable."

The Vancouver Sun reports that the girl was unharmed, "albeit a little soggy, and with a newfound, healthy fear of sea lions".