Charity workers and town residents were put quickly to the test to help a duckling that had fallen through a drain cover.

On a calm and sunny Wednesday afternoon, tragedy struck.

A mother duck was in-peril after its duckling fell through a drain cover near Hexham bus station. 

Luckily for the mother duck, her worried quacks were heard by two Oak Tree charity workers who saw what had happened.

The pair quickly called Go North East to inform them about the situation, following that, they then alerted the drivers around them.

Unsure what to do, they spotted a local team of stone masons from Brendan Teasdale Masonry Conservation Ltd who were able to lift the manhole cover so they would be able to get the duckling.Hexham Courant:

Caroline Johnson, General Manager at Oak Tree said: "Unfortunately, by this time, the duckling had swum down the drainage channel and was swimming between two drain cover points.

"The stone masons quickly had the second drain cover open and remained at one end while the Oak Tree team went to the other.

"Eventually the duckling emerged from under the tarmac and was freed!"

 

Hexham Courant:

The Oak Tree team were keen to check that the duckling was safe and took him to Hadrian’s Vets, while a search for the mum and other duckling was on.

Luckily, she was spotted in a residential area and contained in a garden by the team and the family were reunited again.

Caroline Johnson, General Manager at Oak Tree adds:"At first “quack” from the duckling, mum’s head shot up and they ran towards each other for a heart-warming reunion.

Hexham Courant:

 “We were so relieved to be able to have a happy ending to what could have been a tragic accident.

"The fact that one of our team spotted the incident was amazing and we are so grateful to the people and businesses that helped us reunite this family so successfully.

"We hope that Mother Duck will navigate her ducklings a little more carefully around drain covers in future and look forward to watching this wonderful family grow up!”