Mother and calf drown in net

LONG BEACH- A dead baby dolphin caught in a fishing net with its mother was found early Saturday morning by a boater near the Port of Long Beach.

The boater spotted the trapped dolphins bobbing in the water and called for help at about 10 a.m., said Long Beach Fire Department spokesman Will Nash.

By the time lifeguards arrived, Nash said, the baby dolphin was already dead.

"I guess it couldn't get up to breathe," he said. "Lifeguards got in the water, cut the net and freed the mother. She swam off unhurt."

Nash said dolphins are frequently spotted off the coast of Long Beach but this is the first time he has heard of them getting caught in a fishing net there.

He said the net was retrieved and authorities will try to identify who it belonged to.