A group of emergency response officers have been reunited with the baby they helped a woman in labour deliver on a street in Southwark, south London last month.
Met PC's Mia Kerr and Tom Palmer were on regular patrols in Southwark on Friday, August 20, when at around 5.45pm they were frantically waved down by a father-to-be asking for help.
His partner, Martina, was going into labour nearby in the street, supported by a kind stranger who was passing by.
Kerr informed the Met Police's control room, and two other officers, PC Kirsty Roberts and PC Ali Miah, swiftly arrived to lend their efforts at the scene.
In a few dramatic moments, the cops quickly realised they would need to deliver the baby there and then.
A spokesperson for the Met Police praised the team's efforts as they described the incredible scenes that followed:
"All officers on scene rose to the occasion; PC Kerr comforted the mother, whilst PC Palmer and PC Miah gathered make-shift items to assist the delivery. Other officers held up blankets for privacy to ensure members of the public were able to pass by without intruding.
"Over the phone, London Ambulance Service (LAS) guided PC Roberts through how deliver the baby. There was a complication due to the umbilical cord being wrapped around the baby’s neck. PC Roberts was able to keep calm, unwrap the cord and delivery the baby safely."
"It was not what I expected when I started my shift!"
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) September 9, 2021
🧸 Four officers who delivered a baby on the streets of #Southwark have been reunited with the family they helped in their time of need.https://t.co/gdHmMqORjH
As the baby, a boy, was born, Roberts was told to tie the umbilical cord by the LAS advisors, and did so with the elastic tie of a face mask with Kerr.
The child was then wrapped up in a blanket and bandages from police first aid kits as they waited for the LAS team who arrived shortly afterwards to continue care.
"This was an overwhelming and incredible experience, being able to help such a beautiful family in their time of need," Kerr said on the day they were reunited with the baby and his family.
"It was not what I expected when I started my shift that day, but I knew we needed to act quickly for the safety of both mother and baby. In the moment we kept focused on the task at hand so we could support them and help as much as possible."
Roberts, added: "This was an unbelievable experience. The team leapt into action without hesitation when they realised what was going on."
New mother Martina meanwhile praised everyone who had helped her and the baby navigate such a remarkable situation safely:
"It was at the same time the scariest and most wonderful experience we ever had," she said.
"The right lovely people happened to be there and we feel incredibly lucky. Their kindness made us so comfortable that I couldn't feel any fear and we honestly have no words to thank them enough.
"Our family will remember them for the rest of our life."
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