Pennsylvania Man Rescues Duck From Muck; Emergency Personnel Then Rescue Man

DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (AP) -- A duck stuck in muck up to his nuck, er, neck, was rescued by a 73-year-old man in hip waders who then became stuck himself and had to be extracted by emergency personnel.

Because of low water levels, the pond that ensnared the duckling had turned into a muddy quagmire. When Walt Lutz heard a mother duck frantically quacking near the pond on his property, he decided the duckling needed rescuing.

``The harder it struggled, the deeper it went,'' said Lutz, a retired account executive for Honeywell.

He pulled on his hip boots, grabbed a shovel and waded through the muck to free the duckling. But soon Lutz found himself stuck in the thigh-deep muck.

While he'd freed the duck easily, he couldn't free himself after a 20-minute struggle. Despite his protests his wife called 911.

Using 10-inch-wide planks, police and ambulance personnel formed a frame around Lutz, attached a belt to him and pulled him out.

Back on terra firma, Lutz said he had to act quickly or the duckling would have drowned.

``I just did what I thought had to be done,'' he said.