It’s an unusual story that happened to a group of hikers near Lake Gaube in the Hautes-Pyrénées department, a site particularly popular with hikers. A 19-year-old woman gave birth at an altitude of 1,700 meters this Sunday, September 1st, thanks to the help of those around her.
The mother-to-be, originally from New Caledonia, had come to camp in the area with six other adults and a 3-year-old child, reports France3 Occitanie. The group had taken shelter under tarpaulins due to a sudden deterioration in the weather. During the night, she started having contractions, but she thought they would pass. Around 4:30 in the morning, the delivery was getting closer and it was her relatives who helped her deliver her baby. Fortunately, among them was a female ambulance driver.
As the phone was not working, one of the hiking companions went down to call for help. The SAMU 65 doctor and the Montagne doctor went to the scene to assess the situation. Fortunately, the 2.5 kg newborn was doing well and a life-threatening emergency had been ruled out, our colleagues point out.
The mother and her baby were taken care of to be evacuated by helicopter to the hospital in Tarbes.At this altitude of 1,700 m, there is a risk of hemorrhage for the mother and a risk of hypothermia for the baby” explained the brigadier-chief.
