CAMDEN — Not to be outdone by the Rockland Wastewater Department, no less than five different state and municipal agencies/departments came to the aid of a family of six ducklings in Camden Friday afternoon after their mother apparently failed to read Penobscot Bay Pilot earlier this month.

Maybe this mother duck did not have access to the Internet. Maybe she's a first-time mother and didn't realize it's not all chuckles and entertainment over at PenBayPilot.com. Or maybe, she just thought her ducklings were smarter than all the others and would know to step ON the grates of a storm water drain cover — not BETWEEN them where there is nothingness.

Whichever is the case, like the Rockland mother duck of May 10's mishap, Camden's mother duck had guardian angels — in human form — watching over her and her offspring, and ready to spring into action to save the day.

According to Camden Harbormaster Steve Pixley, a passerby saw the duck family walking along Washington Street in front of the Camden Police Station around 2 p.m. Friday. The mother duck was leading the way, as she usually does when embarking on such a journey, with her six ducklings in tow when she walked across the slatted drainage cover, located on the police department's side of Washington Street.

"Bloop, bloop, bloop, they each fell through the grate," said Pixley.

The good Samaritan went into the police station and told administrative assistant Jodi Russell what she saw and asked for help. Russell was followed outside by Camden Asst. Fire Chief Andrew Lowe and Maine Marine Patrol Sgt. Marlowe Sonksen. Rounding out the Camden duckling rescue crew were Police Chief Randy Gagne, Detective Curt Andrick and Parks and Recreation Grounds Crewman Tom Beauregard.

"Andrew climbed into the hole first and said, "The water is up over my boots,'" said Pixley. "Next we tried to use a lacrosse stick to scoop them out."

According to Gagne, it took Lowe and Beauregard climbing into the catch basin and plucking them up with a pool net to finally wrangle all six ducklings.

"To get the ducks to come toward the net, there was some expert duck calling by Steve that the Robertson family on Duck Dynasty would be proud of, " said Gagne.

After the ducks had been liberated from storm drain catch basin and reunited with their frantic mother, Pixley had his own take on why it all happened.

"Rotary might have cancelled their Duck Derby, but these guys were ready to go!" said Pixley.

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Editorial Director Holly S. Edwards can be reached by email at hollyedwards@penbaypilot.com or by calling 207-706-6655.