Stranded whale dies after a rescue operation to remove it from a French river

The Beluga whale swims in the lock of Notre Dame de la Garenne in Saint-Pierre-la-Garenne, west of Paris, France, Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022. During Wednesday's rescue operation, the dangerously thin animal began to have breathing difficulties, and experts decided the most humane thing to do was to euthanize the creature. (Aurelien Morissard/AP)

PARIS (AP) — A beluga whale that captured French hearts when it showed up in the Seine River had to be euthanized Wednesday after it was successfully removed from the French waterway, authorities said.

A rescue team was preparing to transfer the whale to a saltwater pool in Normandy. The male marine mammal was first spotted in the Seine last week after having accidentally veered off its normal path to the Arctic.