Ronnie's Blog

 

Two little ducklings were rescued from a storm drain after quick-thinking workers coaxed them to safety with an iPad recording of their mother’s quack.

The birds, which were only a few days old, fell down a manhole in Burton Bradstock in West Dorset last week.

They were discovered when holidaymakers heard the mother duck quaking near the manhole cover.

They realised there was a faint squeaking sound coming from the drain below.

Mark Hyde, from Lancashire, told Bridport and Lyme Regis News: ‘We went out to investigate and saw the mother with eight ducklings which were only a few days old.

‘The mother wouldn’t leave the area. We heard a squeaking noise coming from a nearby drain cover and it became apparent a duckling was trapped in the storm drain.’

The couple rang Wessex Water who sent technicians Brendan Sutcliffe and Keith Carter, to the scene.

But when the workers removed the manhole cover, they discovered the ducklings had waddled further into the drain.

Using an iPad, they recorded the sound of the mother duck’s quack and lowered the tablet so that it could be heard by the baby ducks.

Thinking their mother was calling for them, they waddled back towards the manhole cover where they were scooped up in a plastic colander and badminton racquet.

The ducklings were reunited with their family before they were all taken to a nearby stream.

Mr Hyde added: ‘It was a very happy ending and a great story of a community coming together to reunite a lovely little family.

See also: Wessex Water technicians receive award for rescuing ducklings trapped in storm drain.