Rescue a duck? We’ll have a quack, say SES volunteers
A lucky duck has been un-stuck from a chimney at Riverglades.
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Murray Bridge’s State Emergency Service volunteers have ducked out to all sorts of jobs over the years, but this one might have been the most unusual.
At around 5pm on Saturday night, emergency services responded to a call about a duck stuck inside a chimney.
The SES sent a crew to a property on Thule Drive at Riverglades, where a wood duck had fallen into the chimney and was unable to get out.
Initially the crew had hoped to access the duck from inside the house but ultimately had to climb onto the roof to rescue it using a net and a long pole.
The rescue took approximately 90 minutes, with SES volunteers freeing the trapped but uninjured bird – which they named Quackie Chan – at approximately 7.30pm.
Spokesman Chris Marks said the SES often got calls about helping animals, but this one was a bit different.
“Often our crews are called to rescue trapped large animals such as cows and sheep, but to rescue a duck from inside a chimney is certainly something out of the ordinary,” he said.
“It just highlights the variety of activities our SES volunteers can help out with in the community each year.
“It was great that we could get our feathered friend back into nature again.”
Once out of the chimney, the lucky duck was given some food by the home’s residents before being released back into the wild.
Murray Bridge News understands that the resident initially called animal rescue services before contacting emergency services.
The Country Fire Service was also contacted about the episode; local brigade captain Jiron Blacket said it was a great example of not being afraid to ask for help.
“Lots of people get cautious about calling sometimes, as they’re not sure if it’s truly an emergency or not,” he said.
“We’ve had people call to report a fire they thought might have just been a bonfire, but turns out it was a building or home.”
It was always better to be safe then sorry, he suggested.
In this case, anyway, all’s bill that ends bill.
