Ducklings rescued from storm drain

MIAMI, FL (KTRK) -- Eighteen ducklings, who were left stranded inside a storm drain after their mother was hit by a car, were rescued by Broward Sheriff's Office deputies, Monday morning.

According to BSO, the ducklings fell into the drain off the side of Southwest 40th Avenue, in Dania Beach, Monday morning, after becoming disoriented when their mother was hit by a car and killed.

The orphan ducklings were discovered by Maria Gomez, a nearby resident who heard them chirping in the water. Once she realized they were down the drain, she called 911.

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That is when a BSO deputy came to the rescue.

"When we took the grid off, I was able to get four of them out, and then the rest hid inside," said deputy Keith Lerubino, "so we needed the fire department to help us get the other four."

Fire rescuers were able to rescue the remaining ducklings by safely flushing them out.

"It's about a 30-foot pipe, and they would just go to the middle and stay there," explained Lerubino. "There was no other way to get them out."

"The mom had 18, and we got all 18," confirmed Sgt. Dennis Allen of the Broward Sheriff's Office.

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Gomez could not believe just how many were rescued. "Eighteen inside the water? Eighteen inside the water? Oh, my Lord!" she said to WSVN.

It certainly wasn't the usual search and rescue mission for the BSO, but the department was happy to save the little ducklings. "Not the typical call, but it's all good. It's one of the nicer things," added Lerubino.

The ducklings will be transported to a wildlife refuge center where they will be raised until they are ready to be released back into the wild.