Dolphin dies in New York’s polluted Gowanus Canal

BROOKLYN – A lost dolphin that swam into New York's polluted Gowanus Canal, died Friday evening before it was rescued, marine experts told the Associated Press.

The canal runs through a narrow industrial zone in Brooklyn and is a designated Superfund site. It remains one of the most polluted waterways in the New York City area, according to the New York Daily News.

The New York Police Department had been waiting to see if the dolphin could "free itself" from the black sludge and polluted waters of the canal during high tide Friday evening, the AP wrote.

The animal, which appeared disoriented, faced a number of obstacles including shallow waters and freezing cold temperatures, Reuters reported.

"They usually don't survive these types of stranding events," Mendy Garron from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration told Reuters.