Lucky Ducklings: Contra Costa Co. Firefighters Rescue Fledgling Flock Of 7

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA -- Terror turned to joy when a mama duck was reunited with her seven tiny ducklings this week as Contra Costa County firefighters performed a rescue operation, freeing her trapped brood of babies from a storm drain below a Pleasant Hill roadway.

The precarious predicament of the ducks was reported just before 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 31 by a passerby who heard a commotion and witnessed the mother duck frantically pacing the pavement above a storm drain near the center median of the intersection at Oak Road and Las Juntas Way, according to Fire Marshal Robert Marshall of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.

"The babies were pretty noisy and mom was wandering around hissing," Marshall told Patch. "She couldn't get down there. She was obviously pretty upset, wandering around up top."

The crew from Engine 2 responded and California Highway Patrol closed part of the roadway as the effort to rescue the young flock got under way.

"They [the ducklings] probably fell in the drain from the sidewalk side of the street but where we found them was in the center median, so CHP assisted us by closing that lane for us," Marshall said.

Firefighters removed the heavy grate from above the storm drain and using knowledge gained from similar previous rescues, prevented the babies from wandering farther away by partially blocking the drainpipe. A net was utilized to bring each duckling to safety -- one by one. They were temporarily placed in a portable animal carrier, which Marshall said are kept on all Contra Costa County fire engines.

"One of the harder things was, mom was wandering around very mad so we had to corral her and keep her away," Marshall said. "Once she was safely over on the side and we got the ducklings out, we brought them over and put them on the grass. I think she yelled at them for disobeying. Then she decided to take them on a hike well away."

Fortunately, he said, there were no higher-priority calls for the Engine 2 crew during the hour or so it took to rescue the brood.

"If there was a medical call or structure fire we were available to go do that," Marshall said. "If we did need to leave, we would send someone else out."

He added: "We are committed to protecting all life and all property and this was one of those things."

Images via Contra Costa County Fire Protection District/Twitter