COUNTY NEWS: Baby born on ferry crossing to France
Sukurat Adeola Abdul Salam was eight-and-a-half months pregnant when she boarded the Côte D’Albatre, a DFDS Ferry on its way to Dieppe, on October 7.
The expectant 34-year-old began experiencing stomach pains, which were identified as contractions, when the ship was still an hour and a half from its French destination.
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Hide AdThe ship’s senior captain Matthias Bidet helped the London mother give birth to baby Mustafa at 3.50am as the ferry passed the Dieppe breakwater, according to a DFDS spokesperson.
According to the DFDS spokesperson, Captain Bidet also had support from Julien Pennanec’h - a nurse on board the ferry - and from a doctor at Purpan Hospital in Toulouse via phone.
The ship’s captain and father-of-five said: “The boat was already at maximum speed. I have young children myself, one is only six months old. I knew we had to prepare for a birth on board.”
Gemma Griffin, vice president of human resources for the ferry company, said: “I am extremely proud of Matthias. He clearly demonstrated his skills and competencies, not least the skills he has acquired from training and being a father of five.