Thought it was the stork that brought the baby? No, it’s a helicopter! Mother, 41, tells of her ‘surreal experience’ giving birth during emergency airlift from the Isles of Scilly
- A mother had a ‘surreal experience’ giving birth on a rescue helicopter
- Jennie Trevithick, 41, flew from Isles of Scilly and taken to a hospital in Truro
- Baby Ebbyn Josiah Trevithick Simpson arrived with the chopper still in the air
- After father, Hayden Simpson, 38, cut the umbilical cord, they were transferred to the Royal Cornwall Hospital
A mother has told of her ‘surreal experience’ after giving birth on a rescue helicopter off the Cornish coast during an emergency airlift from the Isles of Scilly.
Jennie Trevithick, 41, was being flown to a hospital in Truro after her midwife on the island sensed trouble when her waters broke.
But her labour sped up during the 55-mile flight and baby Ebbyn Josiah Trevithick Simpson arrived with the chopper still in the air. After landing safely, proud father Hayden Simpson, 38, cut the umbilical cord and all three were transferred to the Royal Cornwall Hospital.
If there are possible complications, mothers on Scilly can be flown to the mainland to give birth in case there is a need for additional medical support not available on the remote islands.
Jennie Trevithick, 41, told of her ‘surreal experience’ after giving birth on a rescue helicopter off the Cornish coast
Ebbyn joins an exclusive club of Scillonians born on the helicopter
Ebbyn joins an exclusive club of Scillonians born on the helicopter, including Marcus McLachlan in 2013 and a boy, Torran, who arrived into the world 1,400ft above Penzance in 2018.
Ms Trevithick, a brewer at the Ales Of Scilly on St Mary’s, said: ‘In my first pregnancy, with my daughter, I was also flown out and when I found out the helicopter was on its way the contractions stopped and everything. But with this one, there was no sign of anything slowing down.’
After landing safely, proud father Hayden Simpson, 38, cut the umbilical cord and all three were transferred to the Royal Cornwall Hospital
Once on board, events moved swiftly. ‘I knew we hadn’t landed yet and I reached down to feel the head,’ added Ms Trevithick. ‘I was like, ‘OK’. It took five hours from the contractions starting to the baby being born just after 2am on December 5. It was surreal. I was holding the baby as we were landing.’
She added it was a ‘perfect’ experience and is grateful to the helicopter crew and the midwife who travelled with her. ‘I would love to say thank you to all of them. They were all amazingly supportive,’ she said.
‘Everyone said it must have been so scary being in a helicopter, but actually I felt super safe – I was in the best place possible.’
The family left hospital later that day before travelling home to Scilly.