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Saturday, December 10, 2011

All I could do was watch . . .

I have faced many emergency situations during my 40 years as a nurse - both at home and in the hospital but, never have I been faced with an emergency dealing with a duck - not until yesterday.
I felt helpless and didn't know what to do. What a terrible feeling to watch a helpless creature struggle to survive.

While strolling along the shore of Lake Ontario, I noticed a duck sitting very still on the ice covered water. At first, I thought it was sleeping but, that notion changed quickly when I saw him flutter his feathers and kick outward with his webbed foot. He appeared to be in distress. I stopped and watched. It became clear that he was stuck in the ice. I wondered how that could happen. He must have been sitting there for a long time to be frozen to the ice. The more he struggled, the more panicky I got. He was too far out for me to help plus, I would go through the thin ice if I tried. My only recourse was to call 'Animal Rescue.' I probably sounded like a maniac when I phoned but they reassured me that they would be there within the hour.

For what seemed a life time, I stayed by the shore and watched the poor duck try to free himself. Having never cared for a duck before, I didn't know how long it would take before he would succumb to hypothermia if at all. I internalized - if he collapses from exhaustion, I'll jump into the water and rescue him myself. Crazy I know - but, that was my frame of mind at the time. I paced a bit and mumbled to myself - then, 'it happened.'  He broke loose and waddled towards the open water. I felt so relieved. For approximately one hour, the duck worked to break loose and, voila - he was free.

I hope old man winter doesn't throw any more surprises my way.

What I learned from this experience:
  I wouldn't make a good duck nurse. Hey, I don't even know how to do CPR on a beaked animal. :))

I'm so happy everything turned out okay.
Yesterday's adventure had a happy ending and I found a few more white hairs.

I took a few photos and put together this wee video.


Have a fun-filled day, my friends!


5 comments:

  1. I am so happy this story had a happy ending. The poor duck really had to work hard to free himself. I would have been tempted to go in the water too but that would not have been a good idea.

    It is hard to imagine a duck sitting still so long that he got stuck but as you said that's probably what happened.

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  2. I was holding my breath while reading - afraid to learn the duck's fate. I am glad to hear it turned out well. I would be faced with the same helpless concern if I were presented the same situation. Maybe it's because we are nurses - we feel the need to help out even if it's a duck.

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  3. That would have been so hard to watch. So happy that it ended the way it did!

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  4. I think it would have been the same for any of us who care about wildlife: we would want to help. I am SO GLAD he got free. That music had my heart pounding, even though I knew the outcome in advance!

    I am SURE I was following you sometime in the past, but it got lost. Glad to have found you again, Susan!

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  5. These birds sometimes freeze in overnight. They are able to escape most of the time. I enjoyed your post.

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