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A quacky rescue for the EMFD

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A group of ducklings found themselves in the wrong kind of pond last week in East Meadow.
  
The East Meadow Fire Department, along with Nassau Police and Hempstead Town Animal Control, responded to Aberdeen and Freeman Avenues on April 27 at about 6:30 p.m. for a report of seven ducklings that fell down a drain.
   
The report came from two children in the community who told their parents. The parents then notified authorities.

   
Responders failed in repeated attempts to remove the manhole cover and to even drill a tiny incision. It took heavy machinery to finally open the cover. John McGee, captain of Ladder Co. No. 1, made his way underground to save the seven ducklings and bring them back to sea level.
  
Overseeing the rescue effort was EMFD First Assistant Chief Carl Pugliese, Second Assistant Nicholas Corrado and Third Assistant Walter Griffin.