A baby girl is doing well after her father helped his wife deliver the newborn at a gas station parking lot in Port Hope, Ont., on Monday night.
A husband and wife were reportedly driving their SUV en route to Northumberland Hills Hospital in nearby Cobourg when the woman said she was going into labour.
As a result, the man pulled into the parking lot of a Shell gas station on Ontario Street, a few minutes away from their Port Hope home.
Emergency crews were notified around 8:20 p.m. Fire officials say by the time they arrived on scene, the baby was born.
The father was seen taking off his shirt and wrapping the newborn. When paramedics arrived, the father grabbed a baby basket and a car seat and hopped into the ambulance with his wife and newborn. They were taken to Cobourg’s hospital.
“I just got to make sure they’re OK right now,” the man said as he lifted gear from his vehicle.
On Tuesday morning, Jennifer Gillard, NHH’s senior director of public affairs and strategic partnerships, said the family is resting comfortably after an “exciting evening.” No names were released.
“Mom and Dad ask that I extend their heartfelt thanks to both the first-responders and Northumberland Hills Hospital staff who supported them,” Gillard said.
“They have no further comment and ask that we respect their privacy at this special time.”
Gas attendant April Whitney was on the shift during the delivery and she simply thought the couple were “having fun” since she say the man without a shirt.
“I just heard a scream and saw another customer stop and go over and look inside and the father was running around with no shirt on,” laughed Whitney. “It’s Port Hope we have a lot of weird stuff going on but yeah I thought there was some fun going on.”