"Here comes the child"

Little Patrick was born on a rescue stretcher

The proud parents with Patrick and the proud paramedics.

(Bild: Rotes Kreuz Salzburg)

Little Patrick from Bad Hofgastein (Salzburg) was in a particular hurry to be born at the beginning of July. Mother Elisabeth barely made it to the hospital in Schwarzach, but brought the boy into the world on a stretcher.

It was a special mission for the two paramedics Florian Ganschitter and Christoph Grübler. On July 8, at midnight, the two Red Cross employees were called to a heavily pregnant woman in Bad Hofgastein. On site, it turned out that the expectant mother had already gone into labor. Little Patrick made it clear that he wanted to be born very soon.

Once on the scene, the rescue team immediately prepared the expectant mother Elisabeth for transport to the delivery room at Schwarzach Hospital. During the journey, the intervals between contractions shortened drastically. The team made an advance notification at the hospital and continued the journey from Dorfgastein with blue lights flashing.

The child was born on a stretcher in the delivery room at Schwarzach Hospital.

(Bild: Gerhard Schiel)

"Now the child is coming"
Dramatic moments soon followed in front of the hospital. "Here comes the baby!" shouted the expectant mother as the ambulance was just pulling in. 

In the delivery room, there was barely enough time to lay Elisabeth on the birthing bed. The rescue stretcher had to suffice. "My wife had been feeling a pulling sensation in her stomach all day, even though the due date wasn't for another three weeks," said the now proud father today. 

Extraordinary experience
Then everything happened in quick succession. The two paramedics supported the midwife and the doctor, and shortly afterwards little Patrick saw the light of day on the rescue stretcher.

"In more than 15 years in the rescue service, this was definitely one of the most extraordinary and joyful missions," says Christoph Grübler.