Rescued Dolphin Dies

After being alerted to the spot beyond the breakers, San Diego lifeguard Rob Messinger jumped into the water with his surfboard in Ocean Beach to resuce a 70-pound dolphin. He pulled the struggling young animal onto the board and swam to a rescue boat that would take the dolphin to SeaWorld for care.

Messinger says the dolphin reminded him of a child: "It was an interesting feeling, wasn't like a fish" he said, explaining the situation was not disimilar to others he's encountered as a lifeguard: "... having it on the board just like it was a little kid."

Messinger said the injured dolphin, bleeding from the mouth, put up a little fight at first, but once on the board, seemed to understand what was happening.

The ending to this story, however, is sad. The animal didn't make it, and died by the time it reached SeaWorld. A necropsy will be performed to find out why the dolphin died.