Illinois firefighters helped a woman deliver her baby in a parking lot after a snowstorm meant that she and her partner couldn't get to a hospital in time.
Emergency services were called at around 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday by the couple, who had pulled into a parking lot in Plainfield.
Their journey had been slowed by gusts of wind and heavy snow, with the weather reportedly so bad that plows were struggling to keep up with clearing the roads. Before they could get to a hospital, the mother's water broke.
Fire crews responded quickly to the call, and within just minutes of their arrival a healthy baby girl was born.
Jon Stratton, the local fire chief, told news outlet Patch that the fire crews had managed to put a makeshift tent around the couple's car to give them some privacy during the birth.
He called it a "bright moment" and added: "It was really kind of crazy because it was in the middle of the snowstorm."
Once the baby was delivered the couple was taken to a nearby hospital.
John Argoudelis, mayor of Plainfield, commended the emergency crews for their work and said: "I understand that mom and baby are doing very well."
On Thursday a winter storm warning issued by the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) remained in effect for many regions in Illinois. The weather agency warned that there could be slippery road conditions, significant drifting of snow and reduced visibility making travel difficult or impossible on certain roadways.
"If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency," the NWS in Lincoln, Illinois said in an update on its Watches, Warnings & Advisories page.
The unusual birth is not the only one to have occurred recently. Last week, a pregnant mother went into labor on a flight from Ghana in West Africa to Washington D.C. with just two hours left until landing.
The baby was born on board the Boeing 787 Dreamliner while it was cruising at around 30,000 feet.
A United Airlines spokesperson told industry news site Paddle Your Own Kanoo that, apart from the obvious circumstances, the delivery was "uneventful." Thankfully a Ghanaian doctor was traveling on the plane and the birth went smoothly.
Also recently, a 41-year-old Michigan mother gave birth to her third set of twins and is also a twin herself.
