FRYEBURG — If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck … Well, it turns out it was a duck.

A local woman called for help Thursday when a strange rustling from her chimney revealed an odd thing.

“She looked up the chimney and saw the bill of an immature duck stuck in the flue,” according to a Fryeburg police news release.

One quick call and the rescue effort was on at the home on Newold Drive. Fryeburg police, presumably keeping their Daffy jokes to themselves, reached up into the chimney to dislodge the frightened fowl.

No animals or police officers were harmed during the making of this drama.

“Officers were able to rescue the duck and bring it to safety uninjured,” according to the news release. “The duck was released into a nearby pond where it swam away from the officers and back into its natural habitat.”

Police in Fryeburg seemed to appreciate the break from the usual crashes and crimes. The result of the rescue was a series of photos of the officers and the duck from the start of the operation to the end.

“Sometimes it’s not all about stopping cars and putting people in jail,” Police Chief Joshua Potvin said. “A police officer never knows what they are going to get into when they come to work. I suspect the duck miscalculated his landing on top of the chimney and fell inside. This was a great display of compassion by the officers and a job well-done.”

The duckling was identified as a hooded merganser.


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