South Strabane firefighters rescue ducklings in storm drain

South Strabane firefighters rescue ducklings in storm drain

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South Strabane firefighter Brandan Newman hands off a duckling to Avari Reed of Elizabeth after pulling one from a storm drain at the Old Mill shopping center. Reed and her friend, Stephanie Guzik, were grabbing lunch when they saw the mama duck in distress, prompting the women to alert authorities to rescue the eight ducklings that had fallen into the storm drain. [Mike Jones]

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One of the rescued ducks chirps in a basket while waiting for its siblings. [Mike Jones]

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Mama duck keeps a watchful eye on rescuers trying up pull her eight ducklings from a storm drain at the Old Mill shopping center in South Strabane. [Mike Jones]

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South Strabane firefighters and police officers worked to rescue eight ducklings that fell into a storm drain in the Old Mill shopping center Monday afternoon, while mama duck showed her concern by quacking a few feet away.

Avari Reed of Elizabeth and her friend, Stephanie Guzik, were grabbing lunch at the shopping plaza when they saw the mama duck in distress, prompting the women to alert authorities to help rescue the eight ducklings that had fallen into the storm drain.

Firefighters and police officers showed up and removed the storm drain cover, and they worked diligently to coax each of the ducklings into an area where they could be pulled to safety and placed in a basket while awaiting to be reunited with their mama.

“There’s one,” South Strabane firefighter Brandan Newman said as he handed the first duckling off to Reed, who was holding the basket to ensure they didn’t escape again.

Newman and other firefighters then went back trying to rescue the other ducklings that could be heard chirping in the storm drain.

Go online at www.observer-reporter.com to watch video of the duckling rescue.