Sick sea lion rescued from Malibu beach dies hours later

A sick sea lion that was rescued Sunday afternoon in Malibu has died.

Officials took the sea lion to the California Wildlife Center for rehabilitation earlier in the day but unfortunately he passed away around 7:30 p.m.

A beach-goer noticed the 400 pound sea lion on the beach Saturday and said it looked very lethargic, but had no injuries.

On Sunday morning veterinarians netted him, sedated him and then put him in a cage and carried him into a van to take to the center for treatment.

Veterinarians at the California Wildlife Center believe he may have had an infectious disease such as leptospirosis.

A necropsy will be preformed later in the week to determine a cause of death.

Sea lions, especially adult males, are very dangerous so volunteers are asking people to not approach them if they happen to see them on the beach.