Eel found wriggling along Jersey road after downpour

A Jersey resident has described his surprise after discovering an eel writhing in a roadside gutter outside his home following heavy rainfall.

Dave Wood said he came across the creature in St Aubin on Wednesday afternoon, shortly after 16:30 GMT, as intense rain caused flash flooding in parts of the island. He estimated the eel was around 3ft (90cm) long and said it was “thrashing about” in the water.

Mr Wood was returning to his flat on Rue du Crocquet when he first noticed something unusual in the gutter.

“At first I thought it was just light reflecting off the water,” he said. “But as I got closer, I realised it was moving — and that it was either a snake or an eel.”

Another passer-by stopped at the same time, and the pair briefly discussed how to deal with the unexpected situation. “We looked at each other thinking, what do we do now?” Mr Wood said.

Unsure how best to handle the slippery animal, they sought help from nearby residents and businesses. A man from the Trafalgar pub eventually arrived with a tray, allowing the eel to be safely contained.

The eel was then taken down to the harbour and released back into the water, where it swam away without issue.

Mr Wood described the incident as “crazy” and suggested the eel may have been washed down from a flooded pond or stream higher up the hill during the day’s heavy rain.