A woman went into labor on the shoulder of a San Diego County freeway Tuesday morning after her car broke down just a mile and a half from the hospital.
She gave birth on the side of Interstate 805 with the help of Chula Vista firefighters and paramedics.
Even with six years of experience as a paramedic, this was a workday firefighter/ paramedic Dallas Bain won't soon forget.
“I would call it exceptional," Bain said.
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It was an eminent birth call, northbound on I-805 just south of the H Street exit.
The man driving the woman to the hospital pulled to the side of the road. The engine had overheated.
"If we tried to move her, we could cause more harm to her, as well as the baby," Bain explained.
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Bain made the call to deliver despite the nearby speeding traffic, having a front seat for an emergency room and with the woman's doctor still a mile and a half away.
The paramedic said the baby arrived just a few minutes after his crew.
"She was very scared. We want to make sure we come in and reassure her," he said.
Bain is also a father. He and his wife have a 2-year-old named Jameson. He couldn't help thinking of his son at this critical moment.
"That initial look that the mother gives her child and same thing with my wife and my son, it is priceless," Bain said.
As a firefighter and paramedic, he has faced tough days. This one came with an unexpected reward.
“Being able to deliver that child and seeing the look on mom's face, as well as just hearing that first cry, you can't beat that feeling," Bain said.
The baby’s name was not released nor was the mother’s identity. The newborn is a baby girl. She and her mother were both healthy and recovering at Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista.
The whole department is particularly proud of this call, especially since the city began its own ambulance service in April. A department spokesperson said it's been a long-time goal to create a continuum from dispatch to hospital delivery.
He says today it worked without a hitch.
