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Baby Born 1,400 Ft In The Air Onboard A Rescue Helicopter

'Our helicopter launched with seven people and landed with eight'

A woman has given birth to her son while 1,400 ft in the air on a rescue helicopter after going into labour on an island off the Cornish Coast, south-west of England.

Alicia MacDonald were visiting the Isles of Scilly with her husband for a friend’s wedding when she went into labour earlier than expected.

The one resident midwife on the island was not able to be reached and so emergency crews were called and Mrs MacDonald was placed on a coastguard helicopter in order to get her to the nearest hospital. 

The helicopter made a quick stop to pick up another midwife, Linda Benson, who went on to deliver the baby during the flight.

Baby Torran was born was born at 1,400ft while flying over Penzance and weighed in at 7lb 8z, reports the Telegraph

“Torran is doing fine and we’d like to thank the coastguard, the midwife and the midwifery team at the hospital,” Mrs MacDonald told the BBC.

“This is the second time that a baby has been born on board a coastguard helicopter,” said Jonathan Mustard, aeronautical operations controller for HM Coastguard. “The last one was born over the island of Lunna Holm, Shetland in December 2012.”

“It’s rare to hear that our helicopter launched with seven people on board but were preparing to land with eight.”

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