Firefighters join brave member of the public to save cygnets along Bedford Embankment

The family of swans and five cygnets had left their nest site and swam over a weir near the town bridge with the cygnets unable to get back.

An animal lover who lives the town centre has become a regular visitor to the Embankment observing the swans’ nests and was worried when she saw the swan family had ventured out over the weir.

She said she watched them for a while but it was clear the cygnets could not swim back against the force of the water. She was also worried about predatory swans who may target the cygnets while protecting their own territory.

She said: “I was really worried. I’ve been coming down to the river every day to see the swans. It’s been lovely to see the little cygnets but they are still very young and vulnerable. They did go over the weir last week but the ‘swan lady’ who unofficially looks after the birds along the river in Bedford was here and managed to coax them back.

“But on Wednesday when I was down the river the swan family had gone over the weir and couldn’t get back.”

She said she rang The Waterfowl Sanctuary in Godmanchester and MK Swan Rescue who offered advice, then in desperation rang the fire service.

"It all happened so quickly,” she added: “I was down at the edge of the river and the chicks were frantic and scared. One of the chicks then got under a stone ledge near me so I put my hand into the water and managed to grab it. It may have been lost if I hadn’t manage to pull it out.

“A passer-by shouted good job – that’s one. So I took it back to its nest. A fire crew had arrived and a firefighter then rescued the other four chicks by capturing them in a huge net on a long pole.

“A huge big thanks to them for coming to the rescue. They were brilliant and I was so relieved when they were all back in their nest safe and sound.

“I’ve been back every day since and all they’ve been OK.”

Cygnets are vulnerable and while presence of protective parent swans reduces the risk, predators can still successfully attack cygnets, especially when the parents are distracted or outnumbered.

Foxes, gulls and herons and crows may also target smaller cygnets.

They can also become entangled in discarded fishing line, plastic rings, and other debris and can become trapped, leading to drowning, starvation, or injury.

Beds Fire & Rescue were approached for a comment.