NANAIMO, B.C. In the past 20 years, Fire Chief Tim Doyle of Nanaimo Fire Rescue can’t recall ever being involved in a call to assist a stranded sea lion. “I don t know if we have ever done a rescue like this,” Doyle told CTV News Vancouver Island. “We’ve responded to horses stuck in mud, cats and dog rescues, but nothing like this.” Around 7:45 p.m. Thursday, crews responded to Invermere Beach and assisted a marine rescue group in lifting a 350-kilogram male sea lion into a carrier, then onto a van for transport. The Vancouver-based Marine Mammal Rescue Centre got a call about the stranded animal late Thursday morning. When they arrived in the afternoon, they could tell the male sea lion was not in great condition.