Mother gives birth at 1,400 feet… aboard helicopter

Humanist celebrant Alicia MacDonald went into labour early while visiting the Isles of Scilly with her husband Sandy to conduct a friend’s wedding.

Alicia, of Inverness, suddenly went into labour on Saturday evening.

Ambulance chiefs asked the coastguard to help and the Newquay aircraft was scrambled, collecting midwife Linda Benson on the way and picking up Alicia and Sandy from Scilly’s St Mary’s Airport.

Then while the helicopter was on its way to the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, 7lb 8oz Torran arrived 1,400ft above Penzance.

The noise from the helicopter blades was so deafening, Alicia and Linda had to speak though headphones during the birth.

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Alicia, who also has a daughter, Fearne, said: “We’d like to thank the coastguard, the midwife and the midwifery team at the hospital.”

Jonathan Mustard of HM Coastguard said: “Our helicopter launched with seven people on board, but were preparing to land with eight.”

Torran is the second baby to be born on a coastguard helicopter.

The first was in the Shetlands in December 2012.


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