PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Two workers with Peoria Public Works on Monday rescued a mother duck and her 10 ducklings that fell into a stormwater inlet in downtown Peoria.

Matthew Savage, a maintenance worker for the city, responded to the after-hours call. The ducks had fallen into the grate located at Fayette and Jefferson Streets.

Savage said he and his supervisor Bob Williams popped the grate, pulled the ducklings out and into a bucket, then escorted the duck family from the busy city streets to the riverfront. The rescue took approximately an hour and a half.

“She doesn’t walk very fast…she liked to take her time,” he quipped.

Nick McMillion, the communications specialist at Peoria Public Works, said the department is much more than just streets, lights, and sewers.

“There’s a lot of things that Public Works goes above and beyond, and answers the call when need be. A lot of times we like to refer to ourselves as the front line to the frontline workers, and sometimes we’re the front line to animals and ducklings,” he said.

“It’s a good showing that we do a little bit of everything here at Public Works. We’re not putting out fires, we’re not out there in the public eye, we’re more behind the scenes. I like to classify this whole department as do-it-all-ers,” Savage added.

National Public Works Week is May 15-21.