Firefighters Rescue Two Ducklings from Storm Drain in Arnold

When two ducklings tumbled into a storm drain at Arnold Commons shopping plaza, their mother duck made her distress impossible to ignore. Firefighters from Rock Community Fire Protection District answered the call on July 1, ready to help the separated family.

The call came in at 2:47 p.m. after someone spotted the ducklings trapped in the drain near a pond by Dierbergs grocery store on Arnold Commons Drive. Within two minutes, firefighters arrived on scene with a plan to bring the babies home.

Firefighter Granger Sheppard climbed down into the storm drain system through a sidewalk manhole. He followed the sound of tiny chirps echoing through the pipes while colleagues shined lights from above.

The ducklings were stuck in a smaller pipe inside the drain system. Sheppard reached them by hand and carefully passed them up to another firefighter waiting on the sidewalk.

By 3:23 p.m., both ducklings were swimming safely in the pond. They paddled straight to their mother, who had been watching anxiously from the water throughout the rescue.

Sunny's Take

This rescue shows how emergency responders answer every call that matters to their community, no matter how small. The mother duck stayed close during the entire operation, occasionally leaving the pond but never approaching the crew.

Firefighter spokeswoman Alyson Rotter noted the mother was "visibly upset" about being separated from her babies. That maternal instinct to stay nearby helped firefighters know exactly where to release the ducklings once they were safe.

Arnold firefighters have become accidental duckling rescue experts. Last May, they saved 10 ducklings from a pipe at the Water Tower Shopping Center using a vehicle unlock tool called the Big EZ to lift them out.

Captain Ben Mayer responded to both duckling emergencies, making him Arnold's unofficial waterfowl rescue specialist. The crews never know what kind of call they'll get next, but they're ready for anything.

These small rescues remind us that compassion shows up in unexpected places.