Unexpected arrival: Woman gives birth to baby boy in line at Miami airport

‘We got a boy!’ dispatchers at the scene proudly exclaimed

Olivia Hebert
Los Angeles
Wednesday 13 November 2024 14:25 EST
Comments
A woman gave birth at the American Airlines ticketing lounge at the Miami-Dade Airport in Florida
A woman gave birth at the American Airlines ticketing lounge at the Miami-Dade Airport in Florida (Getty Images)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A woman gave birth to her son while waiting in line at the American Airlines ticketing area of Miami International Airport (MIA) in Florida.

According to 7 News Miami, on Tuesday, November 12, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded to a medical call at the airport, arriving shortly after 5pm to assist an unidentified woman whose water had broken as she began giving birth in the pre-security area of the American Airlines departures terminal.

911 dispatch recordings captured the initial confusion, with one dispatcher reporting a “pregnant female” and a “possible miscarriage outside of Door 3 departures,” where the airline had a ticketing lounge for travelers.

By the time Miami-Dade Fire Rescue arrived, officers from the Miami-Dade Police Department, agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Miami-Dade Airport Division staff were already offering support and comfort to the laboring mother, according to the Miami Herald.

Footage from the scene published by 7 News captured a touching moment as the newborn peeked out from a blanket, cradled in his mother’s arms. In the chaos and excitement, one officer radioed to confirm, “It’s alive! It’s alive?”

To which another responder replied enthusiastically, “Yeah!” The dispatcher quickly coordinated efforts, asking, “Rescue 40. Your ETA? Baby was delivered, Rescue 40?”

A paramedic replied, “Rescue 40. We’re still approximately seven minutes out.”

In the meantime, officers and airport staff rallied around the mother, with one exclaiming, “We got a boy!” as the dispatcher located the incoming ambulance.

Once paramedics arrived, the mother and her son were transported to a nearby hospital, according to Fire Rescue representative Helen Avendano, who noted that further details couldn’t be shared due to patient privacy laws.

An airport employee later told 7 News that the mother may have been between flights on her way to another state when her water broke.

As of late Tuesday night, there were no updates on the mother or her baby’s conditions.

Bizarrely, this is not the first time a baby has been born at MIA. In 2021, another was born at the airport with the help of Miami-Dade Police and Fire Rescue crews. The baby was named Mia after her place of birth.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in