An injured dolphin died Tuesday morning after being washed up on the snow-covered Laurence Harbor Beach.

"When I got down to it, it started moving and making that gurgling noise that it makes, so I ran back to my truck and picked up some blankets and some hot patches that I had,? says Joe Politte, of Old Bridge.

Firefighters and a member of the Monmouth County SPCA arrived at the scene to warm the dolphin up, and the animal initially was showing positive signs.

"It probably got pneumonia," says Monmouth County SPCA Chief Victor Amato. "It obviously got out of the water because it?s too cold."

Officials erected a tent to give the dolphin some shelter and to clean its wounds. Then, they waited for assistance from Marine Mammal Rescue, but while the crew was driving up from Brigantine, the dolphin died.

Amato says the beached dolphin developed an upper respiratory infection due to the frigid temperatures. The cause of the dolphin?s injures is yet to be determined.