A woman from Nouméa, 8 months pregnant, went on a bivouac trip to Lac de Gaube in the Hautes-Pyrénées yesterday with friends. During the night her water broke and she gave birth in the tent.
An unusual intervention for the rescuers of CRS Pyrénées 65. In the early morning of September 1, a group of hikers asked for their help. They explained that, the day before, they went hiking with friends at Lac de Gaube (1,700 meters above sea level), located in the commune of Cauterets in Hautes-Pyrenees.
Among them was a young woman eight months pregnant. And while everyone had pitched their tent to spend the night by the lake, despite the torrential rain, the latter lost its water. A few hours later, the friends had to deliver the baby in the tent and clip the umbilical cord. “They explained to us that they were from New Caledonia and that it was common for women to give birth at home. Obviously, they were used to it,” said the rescuers, a little surprised.
Mother and child taken to hospital
At dawn, when the CRS became aware of this emergency call, the weather conditions were not favorable for the take-off of Choucas 65, the helicopter of the Air Gendarmerie Section. The rescuers and a mountain doctor from Samu 65 then left on foot to join the mother and her baby.
The helicopter finally managed to take off at around 8.30am. The young woman and the newborn were transported by plane to the hospital in Tarbes. Both are doing well.