Duckling Rescue!

12th May 2022

We were delighted to be able to rescue and reunite a local Hexham duck family, with the support of fantastic local businesses, when tragedy struck and one of the two ducklings fell through a drain cover into the drains below by Hexham bus station. Fortunately, two of our team were walking nearby and spotted the duckling suddenly disappear. A short investigation showed that the duckling had fallen through the drain, and was swimming in the drainage channel below while his mum and sibling were extremely distressed above.

We informed the Go North East team at the bus station who immediately alerted drivers and worked to make sure mum and the remaining sibling were safe from immediate danger from traffic. Our Facilities Manager then spotted a local team of stone masons from Brendan Teasdale Masonry Conservation Ltd and asked them to help lift the manhole cover so they would be able to get the duckling. Unfortunately, by this time the duckling, had swum down the drainage channel and was swimming between two drain cover points. The stone masons quickly had the second draincover open and remained at one end while the our team went to the other. Eventually the duckling emerged from under the tarmac and was freed!

However, unfortunately by this point mum duck and the other sibling had moved away and the public “spotters” had lost sight of them. A search of the immediate area was unable to locate them. We were keen to check that the duckling was safe and took him to Hadrian’s vets. They then resumed the search for mum. She was spotted in a residential area and contained in a garden by the team. At first “quack” from the duckling, mum’s head shot up and they ran towards each other for a heart warming reunion.

Caroline Johnson, our GM explains “We were so relieved to be able to have a happy ending to what could have been a tragic accident. The fact that one of our team spotted the incident was amazing and we are so grateful to the people and businesses that helped us reunite this family so successfully. We hope that Mother Duck will navigate her ducklings a little more carefully around drain covers in future and look forward to watching this wonderful family grow up!”