Rescue centre co-manager Paul Reynolds told BBC Scotland News the puffin was rescued during “terrible weather”.
“Sadly this one came in during the afternoon and died that night,” he said.
“There was no prior indication that this was going to happen but the stress of being rescued must have taken its toll.”
He said they contacted the British Trust for Ornithology for information about the bird – but it took much longer than usual for the data to come back.
“Possibly because it is from before their digital records started,” he said.
“I couldn’t believe how old it was,” he added. “The first two digits of the year was enough to leave me gobsmacked.
“It is very unusual none of my colleagues have seen a puffin this age before and there aren’t many on the database.”
Many puffins live more than 20 years, according to the National Trust. In 2022 a puffin aged 38, external was discovered on a beach near Dunbar.