A family of ducks found safety Tuesday night due to the combined efforts of some Samaritans and three different city departments.
Dr. Jamie Holbrook first came upon the ducklings and their mother shortly after leaving a meeting around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday night. She saw the animals near her fifth floor parking garage spot on the paved parking ramp.
A new doctor and sworn to the Hippocratic Oath, Holbrook felt obliged to help the ducklings and mama duck to safety.
She was able to round up the ducklings in a plastic container and lure the mother onto the garage's elevator, where she then took to the ducklings and their mother to nearby Lake Shore Park.
Her rescue efforts proved to be only a temporary fix, as the ducklings and mother duck seemed to disapprove of their park environment. The group proceeded to walk onto the dangerous Lake Shore Drive.
There, bystander Joseph Daley attempted to stop traffic with the help of two police officers on bike, allowing the ducklings to cross the busy road and reunite with their mother.
Along the way, however, one unlucky duckling fell through a sewer grate. That's when two Chicago firemen arrived on the scene to pry the sewer cap off with crow bars. Their efforts proved ineffective, but with the help of a tow truck from the Department of Streets and Sanitation, the group was able to open the sewer cap and scoop the duckling out with a baseball cap.
The ducklings are now spending the summer at a suburban wildlife center where they will be held until they are big enough to be reintroduced into a small water environment to live as healthy ducks.
