Brood Of Ducklings That Fell Into Storm Drain Rescued By Westhampton Beach Firefighters

WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NY — Hero firefighters saved a brood of tiny ducklings that had fallen into a storm drain in Westhampton Beach Saturday night, officials said.

According to the Westhampton Beach Fire Department, a Dune Road condominium resident came to the Sunset Avenue firehouse on the evening of May 30 to request assistance in rescuing a brood of ducklings that had fallen into a storm drain near his residence.

Westhampton Beach Fire Department Chief Larry Saccente, who happened to be at the department’s headquarters at the time, accompanied the man back to his residence, officials said.

After assessing the situation, he radioed to FireCom with a request to send out an alarm to the department, officials said.

Rescue Engine 3 was dispatched and arrived at the scene shortly.

Chief Saccente and the engine’s crew removed the grate to the drain and Captain Robert Eckles, Jr., lowered himself into the drain and commenced to rescue the ducklings with a net, officials said.

One duckling escaped and ran into nearby bushes, but 10 of its brothers and sisters were placed in a cooler and later released nearby where their mother could easily find them, officials said.