Baby born on Flying Christine
24 July 2026
A woman from Sark has given birth onboard the Flying Christine III marine ambulance as it made its way from Sark to Guernsey. The special event happened last month, late at night, on what had been one of the hottest days of the year and while lightning storms lit up the Channel.
Kyla Magell called 999 after she went into labour at her home in Sark during the evening. The marine ambulance and paramedic crew was deployed from St Peter Port and the Sark doctor and island’s tractor driven ambulance was dispatched to the scene.
When the Flying Christine arrived as Maseline Harbour Kyla was quickly assessed taken aboard for urgent transfer to Guernsey, leaving Sark at just before 11pm. At less than 20 minutes into the crossing, at 11:11pm, Kyla gave birth to a daughter, delivered by the Sark doctor, who had travelled with the patient, and assisted by the Guernsey based paramedic.
This week the volunteer boat crew of the Flying Christine, the medical teams and Dr Jenkins were all reunited with the family in Sark.
Kyla was planning a hospital birth but baby Harriet arrived early. Kyla said: “It ran so smoothy, everyone around me was calm, everyone knew what they were doing and kept me updated as we went along, which I what I needed. I trusted everyone I was with and it was all fine and just fantastic.”
Dad Jake added: “It was a bit surreal watching it all happening, I was sat on the chair next to the stretcher and the crew were shuffling around me, it was quite an experience, but it was amazing. It wasn’t plan A, but it all worked so well together.”
Marine ambulance coxswain Andy Lowe said: “I feel really honoured to have been on the boat crew for such a lovely and memorable event. It was my second time to have a baby born on board from a Sark call out. It was lovely to see the family again.”
Paramedic Jim Cathcart said: “It was a very special occasion, especially for the family, but also for the crew. We don’t get called to many maternity cases and having a baby born in an ambulance is quite unusual, but a baby born on the Flying Christine is extremely rare. We train regularly with midwives from Loveridge Ward and on the night all the training kicked in. Everything went really well. The Flying Christine crew, who are all volunteers, got us there quickly and safely and then kept the ride as smooth as possible for the return journey. They did a fantastic job balancing the urgency to get to St Peter Port with the need to ensure everyone was safe and comfortable on the way back.”
Dr Bruce Jenkins added: “I knew when I examined her, that the baby was coming quickly. It’s easy to be clever in retrospect and I should have probably delivered her baby at home, but in reality, it’s less stressful to have her on the way to hospital in case.
“When babies are born, they come when they want to come and that’s where you’ve got to know what you’re doing. It was uncomplicated and Kyla was fantastic the whole time the whole way through.”
Trainee EMT Ian Ferreira who also part of the medical team was on his first ever trip on the Flying Christine said: “It was a real privilege to be part of this call. Working on a boat that was moving up and down with the sea added another level of complexity, but everyone remained calm and worked together to ensure mum and baby were cared for safely.
“I’m very grateful to have been part of such a special moment. Seeing a new life come into the world in such unique circumstances was an incredible experience and, without doubt, one of the highlights of my journey as a student EMT. It’s something I’ll always remember and a reminder of how rewarding this profession can be.”
