Baby born during flight to hospital

A Northland couple welcomed their daughter into the world in dramatic fashion when the baby was born in midair on board a rescue helicopter.

Westpac Waikato Air Ambulance pilot Loren Haisley was called out yesterday morning to collect a woman from Whitianga. She had gone into labour but an irregular fetal heartbeat had been detected.

The woman, with the child's father and the midwife, were being flown to Waikato Hospital when Mr Haisley was told the birth was imminent.

He began to land in a paddock south of Mill Creek but the child was born about 30 seconds before touchdown.

The parents and their healthy baby girl were flown back to Whitianga.