Qld police officers deliver baby Winsley Ellen Welsh on Mackay roadside
Two Qld police officers have had one the “most terrifying” experiences of their lives and bringing a baby girl into the world was just the beginning.
Delivering a baby wasn’t on Constable Kaitlin Carrell’s bingo card when she put on her police uniform this week.
On Wednesday about 1.30am she and Constable Nathan Wessling pulled to the side of Mackay Bucasia Rd when they saw a man in distress, only to discover a woman having a baby in a car.
Ellen Vitek and her partner Chad Welsh had only gotten seven minutes down the road towards the hospital before Ms Vitek suddenly saw her baby girl.
“My water had already broken prior to that and next minute her head was out,” Ms Vitek said.
“Chad pulled over and then the cops happened to be right behind us at the time which is like a godsend.”
Const. Carrell quickly radioed for an ambulance to help before heading to the passenger seat where Ms Vitek was sitting.
“I realised there wasn’t going to be enough time for the ambulance,” Const. Carrell said.
“The head was out as we arrived.
“It just happened so fast it was. It was crazy.”
Realising that they would have to deliver the baby inside the car, Const. Carrell quickly “put a brave face on” and kicked into action.
But even her previous experience as a nurse couldn’t prepare her for what happened next as the baby “fell out” into the arms of Mr Welsh.
“She wasn’t breathing when she first came out,” Const. Carrell said.
“The cord was tangled around her so we took that off and just did sternum rubs on her chest for her to have a little cry.
“That was probably the worst one minute and then after that we had the biggest breath of our lives.
“We were just basically fluking through the process.”
On April 10 about 1.45am a baby girl was brought into the world outside Andergrove and into her mother’s arms.
“It was an amazing experience to be a part of,” Const. Carrell said.
“Mum and dad just did so well and I mean obviously it was the most terrifying thing I’ve done but it was an amazing experience at the end when you’ve got a happy mum and a happy baby.”
The relieved parents and their newborn daughter, Winsley Ellen Welsh, were then taken to Mackay Base Hospital in the back of an ambulance while Const. Carrell and Const. Wessling carried on with their shift.
The new father was grateful for the help of the officers and his own part in the delivery.
“Chad was saying that he felt really silly to begin with because doesn’t make it to the hospital to begin with, especially a second time,” Ms Vitek said.
“But he’s pretty stoked with himself that he gets to say that he delivered his own daughter.”
For Const. Carrell the experience was “number one” in her time as a cop so far.
“It’s just a little bit more of a feel-good moment compared to other jobs we get to,” she said.
“I was already aware as a first responder we get this.
“Nathan’s two months into the job so he’s a little bit awe-struck but it’s a bit of a nicer job.
“I mean after we deliver a baby, we went to a DV (domestic violence incident) and then mental health. It doesn’t stop.”
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Originally published as Qld police officers deliver baby Winsley Ellen Welsh on Mackay roadside
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