New Mom Was Being Flown To A Hospital When The Baby Came

A Newquay Coastguard helicopter turned airborne maternity unit on Saturday night when a baby boy was born while the helicopter was in flight, 1,400 feet over Penzance, Cornwall.

HM Coastguard’s Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Center, was called by South West Ambulance at 1900 hrs to request assistance with a woman who had gone into labor while visiting the Isles of Scilly. Since there was not a midwife on the islands on Saturday the Mum, ‘Bump’ and Dad needed to be evacuated from the islands to a hospital on the mainland.

The Newquay Coastguard helicopter was scrambled, collected a midwife en route, touched down at St Mary’s airport, picked up the man and woman then began the trip to the Royal Cornwall Hospital at Treliske, near Truro. However, the baby boy was in such a hurry he decided to make a guest appearance onboard the aircraft. At 2053 hrs, with the help of the midwife and aircrew, the healthy baby boy was born.

“This is the second time that a baby has been born on board a Coastguard helicopter. The last one was born over Lunna Holm, Shetland in December 2012," said Jonathan Mustard, Aeronautical Operations Controller for HM Coastguard. "We are absolutely thrilled and delighted to have played a part in the birth and are pleased that mum and baby are doing well. It’s rare to hear that our helicopter launched with 7 people on board, but were preparing to land with 8. Congratulations Mum and Dad!”

(Source: HM Coastguard news release. Photo courtesy of Greg Caygill hellophoto.co.uk)

FMI: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/maritime-and-coastguard-agency