Stranded dolphin found in the Rockaways dies

A dolphin rescued by the NYPD after being found stranded in the Rockaways Friday morning died a few hours later, a spokesman for the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation in Riverhead said.

Police had enlisted the help of the Riverhead Foundation in responding to the young, underweight female, officials said.

The 5-foot dolphin, who showed signs of chronic distress, died as she was being transferred to a tank at the foundation, said Rob DiGiovanni, a biologist and spokesman.

He noted that only about 10 percent of stranded dolphins survive. Specialists will be performing a necropsy to determine the cause of death.

A passerby discovered the dolphin on the sand near Beach 19th Street and called police, NYPD commissioner Ray Kelly said. Police had kept the dolphin wet while they waited to transport her to Riverhead.