Baby Born Mid-Air on Coastguard Helicopter Rescue Flight!
Jennifer Trevithick’s labour took a wild turn on 4th December. The St Mary’s brewer was being airlifted from the Isles of Scilly to Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro when baby Ebbyn decided to make a dramatic entrance – 15 feet above the ground.
Emergency Flight Turns Into Birth Flight
Jen’s contractions kicked off around 9pm, and she headed to the island’s birth centre with her partner, Hayden. But when her waters broke, midwives found meconium, which triggered an emergency call for Coastguard helicopter help from Newquay.
Though the flight to Truro was just 25 minutes, Jen sensed her baby was coming during the airlift. Halfway through the journey, her baby’s head started crowning.
“All I could think was this baby’s coming, and there is no way of stopping it,” Jen said. “I was in such a birthing bubble, I knew what was happening but couldn’t talk or anything. There wasn’t a single moment I felt scared.”
With a medic and midwife on board, Jen felt supported throughout the airborne delivery.
Ebbyn Arrives 15 Feet Above Hospital Helipad
Hovering just 15 feet above the hospital helipad, baby Ebbyn was born shortly after 2am. Jen described the surreal but thrilling experience:
“At the end I was holding Ebbyn in my arms but wasn’t sure where we were or what was happening. It was quite fun in a way.”
Ebbyn marks the third baby from the Isles of Scilly to be born on a Coastguard helicopter.
Safe and Sound, Ready for Adventure
Jen, who herself was flown to hospital during her first pregnancy, was initially unaware how unusual the birth was.
“Being flown to hospital for childbirth isn’t unheard of here, so we assumed there must be complications and births in the air all the time,” she said.
Thankfully, Ebbyn is healthy and thriving. Jen is already planning to return to her Coastguard duties next year.
“The whole time I felt so safe – when you hear that helicopter sound you know someone is being taken to the next level of care. It’s a positive sound. Without the Coastguard, we wouldn’t have this lovely story to tell. We’re so grateful to them and the staff involved.”
