Crews received multiple calls requesting assistance with an animal rescue at 20th and Olympia Way on Mother’s Day. John Deveny from Lower Columbia College maintenance was working near the scene when he noticed the commotion around 11:15 am. A mother duck was loitering near a storm drain and seemed distressed. When Deveny approached to investigate, he found several ducklings had fallen into a storm drain; he called firefighters for assistance.
Arriving on scene, fire crews located the birds at the corner of 20th and Olympia Way. Firefighters used a prybar to remove the storm drain grating allowing Firefighter Mitch Alberts to climb into the catch basin. Alberts gently retrieved the ducklings one at a time; five in all.
The mother duck with several of her other ducklings left the area on the approach of crews but were spotted across the street watching the rescue. Firefighters carried the rescued ducklings across the street and reunited the family.