Sark baby delivered aboard Flying Christine

GUERNSEY'S marine ambulance had a surprise delivery yesterday morning.

The Ambulance & Rescue crew was called out when 23-year-old Sark resident Gemma Knight went into labour on Thursday night.

But baby Cerys just couldn't wait.

Five minutes after getting on-board, she was delivered – only the fourth baby to be born in Sark or, in this case, the surrounding waters in more than 40 years.

'She's certainly not a land-lover,' said Mrs Knight.

She and husband Richard, 27, a builder on the island, first went to the Princess Elizabeth Hospital on Wednesday evening but when it appeared the baby was not due, the pair returned to Sark, arriving back at 3pm on Thursday.

'I think the bus up the hill has a lot to answer for. As we got to the top of the hill, the contractions started,' she said.

The only way to get pain relief was to get back to the PEH and, at 11.45pm, the doctor was called.

The Flying Christine III, with a crew of seven, which included a midwife, was called out at 1.10am yesterday.

The couple made their way down to the harbour in the island's tractor-drawn ambulance and onto the waiting boat – but slowly.

'I thought I had ages to go: shows how much I know,' said Mrs Knight.

Five minutes into the journey and Cerys Barbara was born, nine days early, weighing 6lb 9oz.

'I was slightly shocked to say the least.

'I didn't have time to think, "She's on her way", or be worried, because all of a sudden she was there.

'I spent the rest of the boat journey wondering what had just happened,' said Mrs Knight, who works for a mail-order company. Thursday was supposed to be her last day.

Cerys was the first baby to be born on the Flying Christine since it was relaunched after extensive repair work and the service cannot recall the last time a baby was born onboard – if at all.

'We started with one patient and ended up with two, that doesn't happen very often,' said Mark Mapp, the duty paramedic on board.

He said although they were trained and capable of delivering a baby safely, it was always preferably to have a midwife as well.

The Ambulance & Rescue Service has an agreement with Loveridge Ward that the hospital would release a midwife whenever possible for cases such as this one.

'You can never pre-plan a delivery on a boat,' said Mr Mapp.

He said it was far from ideal, but the Flying Christine was built as a marine ambulance and so was fully equipped.

The vessel has been back in operation since April and has been engaged on 40 call-outs during that time.

The average is 60-70 a year.

'The crew were absolutely fantastic and the midwife was really outstanding,' said Mrs Knight.

'It wasn't scary at all.'

Mr and Mrs Knight have one other daughter, Katie, 2, who came over to Guernsey yesterday morning with her grandmother.

The family were all due to return to Sark late yesterday afternoon with the new arrival.

'She's a proper Sark baby,' said Mrs Knight.