Ducklings rescued from storm drain
CRANBERRY TWP — A group of good Samaritans heeded a quack for help to save more than a dozen ducks.
Several township residents, an Armstrong Cable employee and a Z’s Paving employee teamed up Wednesday afternoon to rescue 13 ducklings that had fallen down a storm drain on Haine School Road.
Several people witnessed a mother duck crossing the busy road with her children behind, but they were too small to make it across a storm drain next to the curb.
Sharon Hartmann and her two children Devin, 11, and Sierra, 7, were driving by and pulled over to lend a hand.
“The mommy duck was walking around quacking and couldn’t find them,” she said.
It took more than an hour, but the group was able to get the ducklings out just before it started to rain.
No one was able to reach down far enough to grab the ducklings, but they put tree branches through the cracks, which the ducklings walked up.
Hartmann said she was proud of her children.
“It took patience, problem solving and being determined to help another in need,” she said.
Devin, who celebrated his birthday that day, said that he was happy to be the one giving a gift instead of receiving one, she said.
Cranberry resident Dan Walczak also stopped to offer a hand. He noted it was nice to see a group of strangers work together to help some animals in need.
“It was great. It touched my heart,” he said.
