Hernando crews rescue five ducklings from storm drain near Oak Hill Hospital

Five ducklings were pulled from a storm drain near Oak Hill Hospital on Saturday afternoon after Hernando County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Hernando County Fire Rescue stepped in to recover them. All five were safely returned to their mother, and no injuries were reported.

The sheriff’s office and HCFR both posted about the rescue, describing the ducklings as trapped in a storm drain near the hospital. The joint response added another small but visible wildlife call to the county’s first responders, who often handle emergencies that have nothing to do with fires or crime but still require quick action.

Oak Hill Hospital has seen a similar scene before. Hernando County Fire Rescue previously reported rescuing eight ducklings from a storm drain at the hospital after crews crawled through a water-filled, two-foot tunnel to reach them. That earlier rescue showed how easily a drainage opening can become a dead end for a brood of baby ducks.

For residents who find ducklings or other wildlife trapped in a storm drain, the safest move is to keep clear of the opening and call for help rather than trying to reach in. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission maintains injured-and-orphaned wildlife guidance and a Wildlife Alert contact page, and licensed rehabilitators can help with native wildlife that is hurt, stranded or separated from its mother. When a mother duck is nearby, rescuers try to move fast, because the goal is simple: get the birds out before they are injured or carried farther into the drainage system.