999 call captures moment baby is delivered on side of M5 motorway
A recording of an emergency call reveals the moment a baby is delivered in a car on the side of the M5 motorway in Somerset.
Expectant mother Jayne Rowland was being driven to hospital by her partner Joshua Mogg when it became clear their baby was not going to wait.
During the course of a two-minute phone call, baby Harry was born in the front passenger seat of their car just 30 minutes after they left home.
The sudden delivery happened in November while the pair were on their way to Taunton where Ms Rowland was due to be induced.
In the recording, 36-year-old Ms Rowland can be heard correcting her partner when he mistakenly tells the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) operator they are on the M25 - more than 160 miles away.
The call handler directs the couple to pull over safely before starting the more complex instructions of how to safely deliver the baby.
At just over forty weeks pregnant, Ms Rowland then goes into the final stages of labour before ambulance crews arrive.
The couple say a lorry driver shielded them from motorway traffic by stopping and putting his hazard warning lights on.
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During the recording Mr Mogg, 29, confirms he can see the baby on its way, before confirming his partner is "definitely" having contractions.
Before long baby Harry arrives and a shocked Mr Mogg is heard exclaiming: "The baby's out!"
Three months on from the dramatic delivery, Ms Rowland said: "Everything seemed to happen very quickly.
"The call handler talked it through with us, and then the paramedics and police arrived. They all made such a difference. We’re so thankful."
Mr Mogg, a tree surgeon, said: "I just had to get out of the car and get on with it.
"Delivering my baby son on a motorway is probably the best thing I’ve done in my life. I feel it’s given me a stronger bond with Harry."
Call handler Jonathan Leaton said the pair did "incredibly well" in the panic.
"They remained calm and followed every instruction which ensured the best possible outcome."
Moment after baby Harry arrives, ambulance sirens can be heard in the background of the call.
Operations Officer Dan Wilsher - who was first on the scene - said: "It was a rather unusual incident to attend.
"I remember being very aware of the safety aspect, as Josh and Jayne’s car was in a live traffic lane. When I approached the passenger door, I saw a tiny little face wrapped in blankets looking back at me."
Baby Harry weighed 7lb 8oz at birth and the place of birth on his birth certificate is recorded as "M5".