A teen lifeguard at a YMCA in Colorado helps deliver a baby poolside. Tessa Rider knew her baby was coming soon when she visited the pool at the YMCA in Longmont, Colorado. Afterall, she was a few days past her due date, but she wasn’t experiencing any "clear cut" signs of labor, so she thought she’d be okay. However, shortly after she and her husband, Matthew, arrived at the pool, Tessa realized that she was going into labor and needed to get to the hospital immediately.
Her labor ramped up so quickly at that point that their only choice was to deliver the baby right there on the pool deck. Fortunately, 18-year-old lifeguard Natalie Lucas was there to help the couple. Natalie had been trained to handle emergency situations, although this wasn’t exactly one of the scenarios she’d specifically been prepared for, she knew what to do. "I stayed calm, and I didn't freak out, because that's what you need to do in this job," she says. "You can't really hesitate or wait for someone else to come. You're the lifeguard; you're the lifesaver."
Tessa successfully delivered her baby boy, Toby, poolside at the Y with the assistance of her husband and Natalie. EMS arrived a few minutes later to take the new mom and her newborn to the hospital for a checkup. Both baby and mom were reported to be doing well and their family is grateful for Natalie’s help. For her part, the teen lifeguard is glad to have been a part of the family’s special day, saying, “I was really happy to help them.”
- The Northern Colorado YMCA organization later shared that to celebrate Toby’s birthday, they’re gifting him a lifetime membership to the Y.
Source: People
Photo: Getty Images