Reader report: Windblown holiday ‘duck-oration’ rescued

The big blast of wind isn’t expected until tomorrow. But we got a preview late this morning – strong gusts that among other things caused a “duck” to fly the coop. Patricia shares the story and photos:

My wife and I have a large rubber-duck collection and recently discovered an inflatable for Christmas – a rubber duck with a Santa cap. Only thing was that there was only 1 in Washington, in Puyallup. I drove down the next day to adopt it and proudly display in our yard.

Today, with the high winds, I heard a loud noise and discovered the duck was gone!!!! Had someone stolen it???

After a quick search I saw yellow through the houses. The duck had flown the coop, over our house and into the trees on our slope!! I couldn’t reach it and it was tangled in the trees. Then I noticed it… a utility truck with a cherry picker was just up the street. I scooted over to the nice gentleman and asked him the strangest question.. “Can you help me get my duck out of the trees?”

The nice man was Sean, and he turned his truck around and lined it up to the swinging duck.

In moments he had plucked it from the tangled branches and returned it to the safety of the ground. I made repeated attempts at a tip, but he wouldn’t take it, saying it was his pleasure to help.

Sean, thank you for your help in saving our runaway duck!

Patricia Throop and Angela Bennett

Be sure to get YOUR ducks in a row, to be ready for tomorrow, when the High Wind Watch will be in effect, with possible gusts to 65 mph.

21 Replies to "Reader report: Windblown holiday 'duck-oration' rescued"

  • Patricia December 10, 2014 (2:11 pm)

    Our duck has several rips, but hoping we can perform surgery with ‘duck-tape’!

  • JRR December 10, 2014 (2:13 pm)

    I love you, West Seattle.

  • Garden_nymph December 10, 2014 (2:29 pm)

    Sean, you are awesome! Patricia and Angela, you might consider a thank you note written to his company. What great PR for the company he works for! Happy to hear your wayward duck is safely home.

  • slc December 10, 2014 (2:32 pm)

    Awesome story. Made my day!

  • Maggie December 10, 2014 (2:35 pm)

    Thank you Sean for going above & beyond to lend a hand! It is acts like this that make the world go round. So happy to read this reader report on this rainy, blustery afternoon. Yay!

  • miws December 10, 2014 (3:23 pm)

    Patricia and Angela, Glad to hear that your Duck was found and rescued, and due to Sean’s kindness and generosity, you won’t be receiving a Bill for the rescue.

    .

    Mike

  • biankat December 10, 2014 (3:25 pm)

    :D

  • Sissy Bild December 10, 2014 (3:28 pm)

    Query: when you saw that the errant fowl had flown the coop, did you yell “DUCK!!”?

  • hopey December 10, 2014 (3:40 pm)

    This is why we love living in West Seattle! :)

  • Prentice December 10, 2014 (4:45 pm)

    Are you sure the wind blew him away? Maybe he was just Peking into the neighbor’s yard.

  • Trileigh December 10, 2014 (4:53 pm)

    What a GREAT story!! Thanks to Sean for the rescue, and to Patricia and Angela for telling us about it. Merry Christmas to all involved!
    .
    I <3 West Seattle!

  • HelperMonkey December 10, 2014 (5:21 pm)

    awesome story! yay Sean! now batten down your duckies!

  • sbre December 10, 2014 (6:19 pm)

    I can’t stop giggling at this story!!!

  • ocean December 10, 2014 (6:49 pm)

    Oy, I’m quacking up at the puns!

    = )

  • BeckBe December 11, 2014 (7:46 am)

    That is ducking adorable. Glad to hear your feathered friend is safe at home.

  • Fiona December 11, 2014 (8:25 am)

    Love, love, LOVE this story, especially because this is West Seattle in a nutshell, from the event, the cute couple, the neighborhood, the help from a stranger, the funny comments here from our neighbors, and that THIS is news (honestly! said with a straight face!) that our beloved West Seattle Blog posts along with all the ‘real’ news. #lovewhereilive

  • quilterwoman December 11, 2014 (8:41 am)

    I grew up here, and stories like this remind me why I still live here. Thanks for making me smile on a stormy day! So glad the duck is going to make it!

  • Brian M. December 11, 2014 (11:48 am)

    This kind of thing would never happen in Mallard … er, Ballard.

  • Rusty December 11, 2014 (1:06 pm)

    One breezy day a fowl wind blew my tethers wide
    This Seattle duck was ready to ride
    A great neighborhood I did see
    Until alighting in a nearby tree
    I thought, deflating, that my end this could be
    but a chivalrous cherry-picker then picked me
    Glad to be home with my family
    And thankful for such a great community

  • Coach Rich December 11, 2014 (1:23 pm)

    Trish, You made my day!

  • Patricia December 11, 2014 (3:06 pm)

    We’ve been loving the responses to our duck-tastrophe. Thank you for all your great comments and what a wonderful poem from Rusty! I love West Seattle!

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