A Scarborough ambulance crew delivered a baby boy en route to Maine Medical Center in Portland on Wednesday night.
Capt. Andrew Clark was on duty when the call came in at the Scarborough Fire Department. The parents had started their trip to the hospital in their own car. In North Scarborough, however, they pulled into a parking lot and called 911. Scarborough EMTs responded and loaded the woman into the ambulance.
“I thought we were going to make it to the hospital, but the baby thought otherwise,” Clark said.
The ambulance was on Congress Street in view of Maine Medical Center in Portland when the baby was born. Paramedic Andrew Breitbeil led the delivery; he was assisted by Advanced EMT William Norton. Clark said he has only witnessed a delivery in an ambulance on one other occasion in his career – 15 years ago.
“We train for it, but it’s one of those things many providers never see in their career,” he said.
Clark’s only regret was that the father was not in the ambulance. He was following in the family car. But he soon met his newborn son at Maine Medical Center, where Clark said mother and baby appeared healthy. He would not disclose any further details about the family, citing patient confidentiality.
“The mother did all the work,” he said. “We really didn’t do anything. We were just moral support.”
Clark said the successful delivery was a boost for Scarborough’s emergency responders, who are still reeling from a tragedy earlier in the week. A 5-year-old girl died in an accidental and self-inflicted shooting Monday evening at a home in town.
“It was a rough week for the department,” said Clark, who has worked in Scarborough for 21 years. “This really helped.”
Clark said the crew left the family in peace at the hospital, but hopes to hear from them again. The Scarborough Fire Department posted a congratulatory message on its Facebook page.
“Congratulations to the crews and dispatchers involved as well as the new parents!” the post reads.
Correction: This story was updated at 9:43 a.m. on Sept. 1, 2017 to correct William Norton’s license level.
Megan Doyle can be contacted at 791-6327 or at:
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