It took a little more than two hours for HCFR and workers with the Public Works Department to free the ducklings on Sunday.TAMPA (FOX 13) -
Eight baby ducks that were separated from their mother were rescued from a storm water drain Sunday afternoon in Hillsborough County.
The incident began to unfold just after 10 a.m. in the 4100 block of Pinelake Lane. It took a little more than two hours to free the ducklings.
According to a Hillsborough County Fire Rescue report a resident in the area called 9-1-1 to report the baby birds were approximately 15 under ground after slipping through the grate on the drain.
Upon arrival crews confirmed that there were eight ducklings inside the drain.
"We worked in conjunction with the Public Works Department to make this happen," said Ronnie Rivera, HCFR's Public Information Officer. "They came out, removed the cover to the drain and a firefighter from Station 19 entered the whole using a ladder to retrieve them."
The ducklings were in good condition and were reunited with their mother who was nearby during the rescue effort.
The drain is located near the rear of the Pine Lake Garden Villas.
It took a little while for the firefighter to locate the birds because they fled down a pipe when the ladder came down into the drain. A resident provided some pieces of bread and the firefighter used it to lure the ducklings to safety.
