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It was a happy ending to a trying Mother’s Day for a mother duck who lost 14 of her babies into a storm drain in Bay Shore Sunday morning.
But mom and those little ducks were lucky for Third Precinct Police Officers Jack Ward, Joseph Bianco and Steven Damico.
Ward and Bianco got right to work about 9:20 a.m. after reports of several ducklings that had falling into a storm drain.
Upon arrival to the scene on Aletta Place, in front of Napa Auto Parts, the two found mother duck waiting anxiously. The men removed the grate covering the drain and were able to grab four ducklings.
However the other duckings retreated into the tunnel — and out of reach. That’s when a quick-thinking Damico responded and downloaded a duck-calling app to his cell phone.
The ducklings were attracted to the duck sounds and came back into reach. Bianco was able to grab nine more but one duckling remained unreachable, according to police.
Emergency Service Officer Carmine Pellegrino arrived a short time later and retrieved the last duckling with a net.
All 14 ducklings were reunited with the mother duck.
Top: Police Officer Jack Ward holding a duckling Sunday in Bay Shore. (SCPD photo)
