Northborough police, DPW team up to rescue pack of baby ducks

NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. — Northborough police and the Northborough Department of Public Works teamed up on Thursday to rescue a group of ducklings that fell into a storm drain.

Police say that around 10 AM, they recieved a call on the non-emergency line that reported a group of neighborhood kids witnessed some ducklings fall into a storm drain while crossing the street with their mother.

Officers were dispatched to the location, where they spotted several ducklings trapped in the storm drain, with their mother nearby.

Neighborhood children and their parents brought out food for the ducklings, while officers asked for assistance from the Northborough DPW.

DPW workers arrived on the scene with the necessary and proper tools to pry open the storm drain.

One of the DPW workers, David Lane, climbed down into the 12-foot storm drain, which was partially filled with water, to rescue the ducklings.

10 ducklings were rescued from the drain. Video shows the moment when Lane resurfaced from the drain with some of the ducklings in a bin, with onlooking children cheering him on.

Northborough police, DPW team up to rescue pack of baby ducks

The ducklings were placed into a bucket, which was transported to a nearby location by the woods in hopes that the mother duck would return.

20 minutes went by, when officers spotted the mother duck coming from the woods. The officers released the ducklings to their happy momma.

Northborough police, DPW team up to rescue pack of baby ducks

“This wasn’t the most serious call that Northborough Police will face this week, but this was an outstanding example of community policing, and of officers going above and beyond to respond to the concerns of our residents and neighbors,” said Northborough Police Chief Brian Griffin. “I am pleased that the neighborhood kids thought to call us when they witnessed something that upset them, and I am proud of our officers and DPW workers for responding with compassion and teamwork to ensure this call had a happy ending. This was a great community effort to reunite a mother duck with her babies.”