Beloved Eel McPherson disappears from New Zealand pond during massive storm

Owners hope the friendly shortfin eel, which delighted children in Whangrei for 35 years, made it out to sea during deluge

A shortfin eel named Eel McPherson, who was beloved by a New Zealand city for 35 years, has bid bon voyage to its backyard pool and disappeared during a once-in-500-years flood.

The eel was kept by a Whangrei man, George Campbell, for decades - first at a fish museum that he ran during the 1990s and later at his home - said Campbell's granddaughter, Alyce Charlesworth.