Littlehampton baby delivered by firefighter

Simon Avery, 33, was driving his heavily pregnant wife, Heather, 31, to Worthing Hospital from their home in Sandfield Avenue, when they realised she was on the verge of giving birth, at around 9.10am.

Mr Avery parked his car on the forecourt of the Ardsheal Road station and firefighters who saw what was happening outside rushed to help.

"I can't stop this"

Mrs Avery said: "On the way to the hospital, we passed the fire station and I said 'you better call an ambulance and pull over, I can't stop this'.

"I thought, if nothing else, they've got medical training. I just knew we weren't going to make it to the hospital. I had that urge to push.

"It was the best place to pull over. It was that or the big field opposite."

The firefighters put up screens around the couple's car, as a play event was taking place on Broadwater Green. Crew manager Maisie Rudkin, who has medical training, then began comforting Mrs Avery and offering advice.

Austen Tate Avery

Mrs Avery was then moved into the back of an ambulance, which had arrived within a minute of being called, and Maisie helped deliver a 8lb 12.5oz healthy baby boy, Austin Tate Avery.

Maisie, 36, a mother-of-three, said: "It was amazing, absolutely amazing. I've got my own children and the last was a home birth.

"I feel quite privileged I was with them during a very intimate and special moment in their lives.

"I was helping her out in the car, talking to her and holding her hand, and when we were in the ambulance the technicians said 'just carry on', so I helped him into the world.

"It was very, very special."

Maisie praised the bravery of Mrs Avery, who she said did "incredibly well".

Thank you

She said: "She went through quite a difficult thing in a bizarre location with people she had never met before and did really well. She needs to be proud of herself."

Mrs Avery returned the compliments and said Maisie was "absolutely fantastic".

"She was really reassuring, really respectful. She asked permission to do things, she didn't just go ahead and do them."

Mr and Mrs Avery, who already have a 22-month-old son called Corbin, plan to visit the fire station to say thank you next week.

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