A neighbour brought a bucket and a rope, Josh took off his shoes, lifted the grate and climbed down.

“The water was above his waist,” Emily said.

The ducklings were sitting on a piece of metal, half in the water and half out.

“He scooped them into the bucket all at once,” Emily said. “He did an arm swipe.”

The mother duck stayed about 15 feet away, quacking, but when the bucket with her babies came out of the sewer, she came right over.

She checked them all over, then led them back to a nearby pond.

The City of Brampton encourages residents to contact the city when they see an animal in distress because they are trained to handle any situation.

"We appreciate that people want to do their best to help animals, but some situations can jeopardize not just the well-being of the animal, but the safety of people as well," said city spokesperson Natalie Stogdill.

The Fredricks didn’t make it to lunch, because Josh had to go home and shower, but they did make it in time to see their movie — Guardians of the Galaxy 2.