2 women help save 11 ducklings in Janesville

If ducks can feel gratitude, a mother duck in Janesville is probably grateful for the two women who helped save its 11 little ducklings this week.

Deanna Daehler saw one duckling slip down a sewer grate Thursday evening. Melanie Wasemiller stopped to help, and the two pulled off the grate to find 11 ducklings below.

A Janesville Gazette report said the babies retreated down a pipe, so someone went to the next sewer opening to make noise and scare them out. Meanwhile, the mother duck paced frantically nearby.

It took more than an exhausting two hours, but the women eventually corralled the ducklings.

Mandy Cyr is with the state Department of Natural Resources. She said the babies could have died if they were stuck in the cold, wet sewer overnight.