Airlift for woman who went into labour on ferry

A pregnant woman was airlifted off an Irish ferry on its way to France today after going into labour six weeks early.

Maria Huci, 26, who lives in Clondalkin, west Dublin, was on board the Irish Ferries ship Oscar Wilde when her contractions began at around 6am.

Medically-trained staff on the crossing from Rosslare, Co Wexford, to Cherbourg, were called to attend to her and alerted the UK Coastguard.

A full-scale rescue operation swung into place shortly after 6am, orchestrated by the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Falmouth, on the Cornwall coast.

A helicopter was scrambled from the nearby RNAS Culdrose naval base to whisk Ms Huci to the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro.

The ship was some 15 miles (24km) off the coast at the time of the emergency and was diverted towards Falmouth to help speed up the rescue airlift.

Ms Huci, who was travelling to her native Romania for Christmas along with her husband and brother, gave birth to a baby boy.

“Both mother and son are said to be doing very well,” said an Irish Ferries spokesman, who praised the actions of those on board and the Coastguard.

A Royal Cornwall Hospital spokeswoman said Ms Huci was airlifted with her brother, while her husband travelled on to France as they had a car on board.

“She and the baby are doing very well and they are just waiting for dad to come and join them now,” she said.

Ms Huci, who works for a company in Clondalkin, is expecting to return to her home in Dublin in the new year.