Paramedics Assist in Mid-Air Birth on Delta Flight to Portland
A Delta Air Lines flight from Atlanta to Portland witnessed an unexpected event when a passenger, Ashley Blair, gave birth to a baby girl just before landing. The incident occurred on a Boeing 737 with 153 passengers on board. Two paramedics, Tina Fritz and Kaarin Powell, who were returning from a vacation, assisted in the delivery. Blair, who was traveling to Oregon to be with her mother for the birth, went into labor about 30 minutes before the plane's arrival. The paramedics, initially attending to another passenger, were called to assist Blair. With no obstetrical kit available, they improvised using blankets from passengers and a shoelace to tie off the umbilical cord. The baby, named Brielle Renee Blair, was born healthy, and both mother and child were later transported to a local hospital for observation.