Baby born on boat on one of hottest days of year as lightning storms light up sky

A baby was born on a boat in the middle of the sea on one of the hottest days of the year as lightning storms lit up the sky.

Kyla Magell, from Sark, gave birth to daughter Harriet onboard the Flying Christine III marine ambulance as it raced from Sark to Guernsey in the Channel Islands.

The mum-of-two had gone into labour at home during the evening before calling 999, prompting the marine ambulance and a paramedic crew to be deployed from St Peter Port.

READ MORE: Mysterious 67-year-old message found hidden behind staircase

Sark’s doctor and the island’s tractor-driven ambulance were also dispatched, with Kyla taken aboard the vessel for an urgent transfer to Guernsey.

There is no hospital on Sark, with islanders instead relying on a GP practice staffed by one doctor and one nurse.

Pregnant women are advised to travel to Guernsey ahead of their due date to give birth in hospital – but little Harriet had other ideas and arrived two weeks early.

The vessel left Sark’s Maseline Harbour just before 11pm and, less than 20 minutes into the crossing, Kyla gave birth to her 9lb daughter at 11:11pm.

Harriet was delivered by the Sark doctor, who had travelled with Kyla, with help from a Guernsey-based paramedic.

Kyla said the dramatic birth was far from what she had envisaged, as reported by What’s The Jam.

“With my first born, I had an epidural and I thought, ‘OK that’s the way I’m gonna go with the second born’ – it’s calm, it’s cool, it’s collected, it’s safe, you’re in a hospital.

“Being at sea just was not part of our plan, but it turned out to be our plan.”

She said it had been really hot on board during the birth last month.

But she added: “I was quite calm because luckily everyone around me was calm.”

“It ran so smoothy, everyone around me was calm, everyone knew what they were doing and kept me updated as we went along, which I what I needed.

“I trusted everyone I was with and it was all fine and just fantastic.”

The remarkable arrival was the first birth onboard the Flying Christine marine ambulance in almost 18 years.

Paramedic Jim Cathcart said: “To have a birth on the Flying Christine is very unusual.

“It was a very special occasion, especially for the family, but also for the crew.

“We don’t get called to many maternity cases and having a baby born in an ambulance is quite unusual, but a baby born on the Flying Christine is extremely rare.

“We train regularly with midwives from Loveridge Ward and on the night all the training kicked in.

“Everything went really well.

“The Flying Christine crew, who are all volunteers, got us there quickly and safely and then kept the ride as smooth as possible for the return journey.

“They did a fantastic job balancing the urgency to get to St Peter Port with the need to ensure everyone was safe and comfortable on the way back.”

Volunteer coxswain Andy Lowe, who was at the helm that night, said “everything seemed absolutely normal” when the vessel arrived in Sark.

“They came on board walking,” he said.

“We set off, going quite quick to get, but sort of two thirds of the way the screaming was really getting a bit loud.

“Then the wailing started so we knew something had happened and we had another passenger on board.”

When Lowe realised Harriet had made her dramatic arrival, he quickly took a picture of the coordinates where she was born.

“The position was recorded in the time, and we wrote it all out in the logbook and gave it to the mum,” he said.

For Kyla, the exact time of Harriet’s birth made the moment even more special.

“Every time I see the clock and it’s 11:11, I always make a little wish,” she said.

“So when she came at 11:11, I thought it was really special.”

Dad Jake said watching his daughter being born onboard the boat had been surreal.

“It was a bit surreal watching it all happening, I was sat on the chair next to the stretcher and the crew were shuffling around me, it was quite an experience, but it was amazing.

“It wasn’t plan A, but it all worked so well together.”

He also joked about what Harriet’s unusual birthplace might mean for her official documents.

A baby’s place of birth is recorded on their birth certificate.

“She was born in the territorial waters of the Bailiwick of Guernsey – it’s quite a mouthful,” Jake said.

“I’m not sure what will be in her passport, but we’ll find out.”

Lowe said he felt privileged to have played a part in Harriet’s arrival.

“I feel really honoured to have been on the boat crew for such a lovely and memorable event.

“It was my second time to have a baby born on board from a Sark call out.

“It was lovely to see the family again.”

Dr Bruce Jenkins said he realised while examining Kyla that the baby was coming fast.

“I knew when I examined her, that the baby was coming quickly.

“It’s easy to be clever in retrospect and I should have probably delivered her baby at home, but in reality, it’s less stressful to have her on the way to hospital in case.

“When babies are born, they come when they want to come and that’s where you’ve got to know what you’re doing.

“It was uncomplicated and Kyla was fantastic the whole time the whole way through.”

Trainee EMT Ian Ferreira, who was also part of the medical team, was on his first ever trip aboard the Flying Christine.

He said the extraordinary experience had been a privilege.

“It was a real privilege to be part of this call.

“Working on a boat that was moving up and down with the sea added another level of complexity, but everyone remained calm and worked together to ensure mum and baby were cared for safely.

“I’m very grateful to have been part of such a special moment.

“Seeing a new life come into the world in such unique circumstances was an incredible experience and, without doubt, one of the highlights of my journey as a student EMT.

“It’s something I’ll always remember and a reminder of how rewarding this profession can be.”

READ MORE: Hoarder house cleaner finds HUGE 35-year-old Mars bar – as shrinkflation takes its toll