LONDON (Reuters) - A seal saved an elderly dog from a watery grave after it was swept away by fierce currents in a fast-flowing river in northern England.

Eyewitnesses said the dog, who appeared to be injured before hitting the water, scampered into the River Tees and tried to swim to the opposite bank -- but the current got the better of him.

Suddenly, a seal appeared from the depths and gently pushed the dog, a German Shepherd, into mudflats on the bank.

"I've never seen anything like it and I don't think I ever will," eyewitness Chris Hinds told Reuters Wednesday. "This seal just came out of nowhere. It was like the guardian angel came up.

Hinds took care of the dog until emergency services arrived after Tuesday's rescue.

No owner was immediately tracked down and the dog was being looked after by the RSPCA animal charity. The charity named the dog "Seamo" after David Seaman, the goalkeeper of England's World Cup soccer team "because it was a great save."

Seals are not known for friendliness to dogs, but the RSPCA said they were naturally inquisitive creatures and it could have been just playing.