Helicopter birth was on a real high
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A MOTHER from North Kessock has thanked everyone involved in ensuring the safe delivery of her son when he decided to arrive early.
Alicia MacDonald, a former Fortrose Academy pupil, went into labour while visiting the Isles of Scilly off the south-west coast of England to conduct a friend’s wedding ceremony.
Along with husband Sandy she was to be taken to the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro by coastguard helicopter – a well-established practice for the islands whenever its own midwife is not due to be on-call.
The Newquay Coastguard helicopter was scrambled at about 7pm and collected a midwife from the mainland en route to picking up Mr and Mrs MacDonald.
Things moved somewhat faster than expected however and baby Torran was actually born weighing 7lb 8oz mid-flight at 8.53pm, 1400ft above Penzance.
A baby brother for sister Fearne, his proud mum – now a humanist celebrant living in New Zealand – said: "Torran is doing fine and we’d like to thank the coastguard, the midwife and the midwifery team at the hospital."
Describing events before and during the flight, midwife Linda Benson said: "I got on the helicopter and we went out and they briefed me on the way out, and the lady was waiting in a land ambulance.
"So I went out and tested her and everything was good to travel so we decided to go.
"We thought we might make it, but we didn’t and halfway through the journey she decided to have her baby."
Aeronautical operations controller for HM Coastguard Jonathan Mustard said: "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.
"It’s rare to hear that our helicopter launched with seven people on board but were preparing to land with eight.
"Congratulations to mum and dad."
Another baby boy was born on a Royal Navy rescue helicopter in 2013 on the way to Cornwall from the Isles of Scilly.
