A clever Louisiana firefighter used his mobile ringtone to assist in a unique rescue last Saturday evening.
After a neighbor reported seeing ducklings fall down a storm drain in Slidell, firefighter Cody Knech used the duck-call on his iPhone to impersonate the Mallards’ mother and draw them out.
An exercise in patience, it took an hour and a half for the guys from St. Tammany Fire District 1 to rescue four of the six siblings. The last two were lifted out a bit later. The brood was reunited with their mother in the canal behind the home where the rescue took place.
According to KPLC, this is the second duck rescue in less than a week. Louisiana public official Randy Cheaney rescued 14 ducklings from a storm drain in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
(WATCH the rescue via Facebook below or READ more from NBC News) – Story tip from Denny Hall
Fire Chief – Chris KaufmannFor Immediate Release April 26, 2015Baby Ducks Rescued from Storm DrainSlidell, LA. – On Saturday, April 25, 2015 at approximately 5:24 pm, St. Tammany Fire District #1 responded to a call for baby ducks trapped in a storm drain. The incident occurred on Oak Tree Dr. in the Fairways subdivision in Slidell. A neighbor reported seeing a number of baby ducks fall into a storm drain. Upon arriving on the scene, firefighters verified that several baby Mallard ducks were trapped in the storm drain. Firefighters removed the top cover of the drain to gain access to the ducks. Firefighter Cody Knecht got down in the drain to try and capture the ducks. Captain Chuck Davis, Fire Operator Jason Theriot, and Fire Prevention Officer Billy Dekemel assisted from above. With the help of a duck call ringtone on his iPhone, Firefighter Knecht was able to lure the baby ducks to him. It took about an hour and a half to rescue four of the six baby ducks. Unable to capture the other two baby ducks, the crew went back to the fire station to give the ducks a chance to calm dawn. They returned about an hour later and rescued the two remaining baby ducks. All of the baby ducks were reunited with their mother in the canal behind the home where the incident took place.St. Tammany Fire District #1 responds to numerous public service calls such as these each year. This is the second duck rescue call in less than a week. Firefighters are always eager to help and enjoy giving back to the community. Fire Chief Chris Kaufmann has stressed to our citizens, “If you don’t know who to call for help, call us”.For more information about St. Tammany Fire Protection District #1 visit us at www.slidellfire.org or follow us on Facebook - St. Tammany Fire District #1 and Twitter - @SlidellFire_PIOChad DuffautChief of Fire Prevention/PIOcduffaut@slidellfire.org
Posted by St. Tammany Fire Protection District #1 on Sunday, April 26, 2015