EMTs & police assist in emergency birth of healthy boy in Holderness

HOLDERNESS — Plymouth Fire Department personnel, accompanied by Holderness Police Chief Jeremy Patridge, helped deliver a healthy baby boy yesterday morning after getting a 911 call from the 26-year-old mother to be.

Partridge said he was on duty at 8:44 a.m. and raced to Seven Pines Road to assist the woman.

"All the way I was praying for the EMTs to sign on (to the radio)," Patridge said, adding he has children but he'd never actually delivered a baby before.

He said he entered the home and the Plymouth team was right behind him.

Patridge said the baby's head was already out and the emergency teams finished the delivery.

Fire Capt. Steve Vachon said they had about one minute to act before the baby was born.

"There wasn't a lot of time to prepare," he said, noting Chief Casino Clogston assisted him and Paramedic Brian Peck in the delivery.

Vachon said neither he or Peck had delivered a baby before although, like Patridge, both had been present for the births of their children. He said Clogston has delivered a couple.

"We're trained but we usually get them to the hospital in time," Vachon said, noting this time there was nothing to do except assist with the delivery in the family bathroom.

Vachon said the baby boy appeared to be normal sized and very healthy. He said both mother and son were taken to Speare Memorial Hospital where emergency crews awaited.

"Every time I see this it continues to be a miracle," said Patridge.

Vachon echoed Patridge's sentiment.

"It's always nice to start the day with a good thing," he said.

Patridge said the boy's father was on his way to the house to take his wife to the hospital and was too late but he had the privilege of telling him that he had a healthy son and to go straight to Speare.