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Baby born on a coastguard helicopter during emergency flight

Midwife Linda Benson with parents Sandy and Alicia MacDonald - PA
Midwife Linda Benson with parents Sandy and Alicia MacDonald - PA

A baby was born at 1,400ft inside a coastguard helicopter after his mother went into labour while visiting the Isles of Scilly.

Torran MacDonald weighed in at 7lb 8z, above Penzance, Cornwall, on Saturday night, after emergency crews received a call for assistance.

The rescue helicopter from Newquay picked up a midwife before airlifting Alicia and Sandy MacDonald from St Mary’s Airport.

The couple from Inverness were on the islands so that Mrs MacDonald could conduct the ceremony for a friend’s wedding and went into labour earlier than expected.

Torran was born, with the help of the midwife, Linda Benson, as the aircraft was en route to the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro.

baby - Credit: PA
Baby Torran at the Royal Cornwall Hospital Credit: PA

Mrs MacDonald thanked all those involved on Monday and said her son, who has a sister named Fearne, was “doing fine”.

Jonathan Mustard, aeronautical operations controller for HM Coastguard, said it was just the second time a baby had been born on board a coastguard helicopter.

He added: ”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 mum and dad.”

Another baby was born on a Royal navy rescue helicopter in 2013 on way to Cornwall from the Isles of Scilly.