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Spared lobster dies during trip from Florida to Maine

Crustacean estimated to be 60 to 110 years old
Posted at 5:33 AM, Jul 28, 2016
and last updated 2016-07-28 05:33:42-04

WEST BOOTHBAY HARBOR, Maine (AP) -- Larry the Lobster gained fame after it was spared from a boiling pot in Florida, but Maine officials say the crustacean didn't make it to retirement.

Officials say the decades-old, 15-pound lobster succumbed during its journey from a Sunrise, Florida, restaurant to the Maine State Aquarium. The staff at the aquarium in West Boothbay Harbor unpacked the lobster and found it dead on Wednesday.

A rescue group had stepped forward to save the lobster after the restaurant owner called a TV station in Florida last week to show off the lobster's unusual size. It was estimated to be between 60 and 110 years old.

It's not clear what killed the lobster. It was packed in a Styrofoam clamshell with seaweed and frozen gel packs.