Ducklings rescued after mom is hit on Grapevine highway

GRAPEVINE, Texas - Eight ducklings are safe after they were rescued by Grapevine police and firefighters.

The baby ducks had fallen through a drainage gate after their mother was hit by a car near State Highway 121 and Interstate 635 over the weekend.

Eight ducklings are safe after they were rescued by Grapevine police and firefighters.

The baby ducks had fallen through a drainage gate after their mother was hit by a car near State Highway 121 and Interstate 635 over the weekend.

Grapevine police officer Oliver Poole just celebrated his one-year anniversary with the department and said Sunday was like any other on the job until a call came about the unusual rescue situation.

“First call we got is momma duck and babies and then got an updated call that momma had been hit by a car unfortunately,” Poole said.

Poole's dashcam shows the metal grate on the narrow shoulder of Highway 121 where the orphaned ducklings had fallen through.

You can hear traffic whizzing by in video captured by Nathan Stinton, the motorist who called for help. Stinton rolled as first responders began lifting the heavy grate to reach the baby ducks.

First responders carefully lifted out the precious cargo -- still more fuzz than feathers.

“It was kind of weird to see them out there in the middle of the highway not anywhere close to a body of water so I have no idea how long they've been traveling or where they are coming from,” Poole said.

Poole had the task of getting them to their next destination -- the Grapevine Animal Shelter.  He said part of being an officer is serving, even if that service sometimes means helping out members of the animal kingdom.

“We help people, us the fire department, that's why we are here. We are people. People we want to help as much as we can in any way we can,” Poole said. “Duck people apparently -- now we are.”

The ducklings are now with a local wildlife rehabilitation and will stay there till they are able to live be released.