ENGINEERS from the Orange Army in Dawlish came to the rescue when the newly hatched Black Swan cygnets tried to make an escape.

The BAM Nuttall workers were able to quickly fetch the youngsters as they took their first swim in Dawlish. 

Unfortunately the youngsters, who are about 36 hours old, were washed out the river through a small gap in the fencing downstream.

BM Nuttall worker Jack Brookes explained how he and his colleagues lept to their aid, scooping them up in a bucket. 

He said: ‘Seven chicks hatched and today was their first time on the river.

‘However, they were washed out through a small gap in the fencing.

‘After fetching the chicks from downstream and returning to their mum, it seemed fitting to give the the downstream debris fence a bit of an upgrade with some old walkway panelling.’