600-pound dolphin rescued from New York state sandbar

OAK BEACH, N.Y., June 7 (UPI) -- A 600-pound dolphin seen struggling on a New York state sandbar was rescued and taken to an aquarium, the Riverhead Foundation said.

Kimberly Durham, Rescue Program director for the Riverhead Foundation, said rescuers used a stretcher to move the 9-foot-long female dolphin from the sandbar just south of Jones Beach in Oak Beach to a residential beach Thursday, WNYW-TV, New York, reported Friday.

The dolphin was then taken to the Long Island Aquarium in Riverhead.

"We are extremely grateful for the support shown and share the success of this rescue with the USCG [U.S. Coast Guard] Fire Island personnel as well as the community members of Oak Beach which assisted our efforts to render aid to this stricken animal," Durham said.