Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Giant rubber ducky takes flight; where will it land next?

A 25-foot inflatable duck named Joy has disappeared after bringing days of delight to a seaside Maine community

Via AP news wire
Tuesday 24 August 2021 17:26 BST
Giant Rubber Ducky
Giant Rubber Ducky

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A 25-foot inflatable duck named Joy disappeared over the weekend, as mysteriously as it arrived, after bringing days of delight to a seaside Maine community.

The rubber ducky was removed from the harbor sometime Saturday, likely because of concerns about Tropical Storm Henri, Belfast Harbor Master Katherine Given was quoted as saying in the Bangor Daily News.

Despite the weather concerns, Given said, people were upset to see the duck leave the harbor.

The duck's arrival in the harbor two weekends ago was, and remains, a mystery. But Given said she received an anonymous letter from someone claiming to be responsible.

“JOY simply is fowl play. In this day in age of such bitter divisiveness in our country, we wanted to put forth a reminder of our commonalities instead of our differences," the letter said. “Nothing embodies childhood more than being in a warm bath with your rubber ducky – the joy of not having a care in the world other than having to remember to wash behind our ears.”

Will the ducky return? That's not known — but the letter alluded to the duck landing somewhere else after Belfast.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in