VIDEO: A quiet night before Christmas turned into a life-changing moment for one Anderson Island family — and a call local firefighters will never forget. On the evening of Dec. 23, Katherine Sims suddenly went into labor at her home on Anderson Island and dialed 911. Volunteers with Anderson Island Fire and Rescue were dispatched immediately. “They told me the baby’s absolutely coming. No choice,” Sims said.
With the island’s last ferry for the night already gone, the crew decided the fastest way to reach the mainland hospital was by fire boat. Getting Sims there wasn’t easy. “It was a whole process to get me down to the boat on the gurney in the first place,” she recalled. “At that point I’m realizing this is getting real, really fast.” Once the boat hit open water, Sims said the ride was anything but smooth. “Once you hit the wakes and with the contractions, it was ouch — it was absolutely painful as heck,” she said.
It took about 10 minutes for the crew to reach the dock. Once they hit land, Sims’ water broke — and she realized she wouldn’t make it to the hospital. “This is DEFCON,” she said. “There is no way I’m making it to any hospital at this point. And then those next two pushes … I did this. I am so proud of myself.” At 12:01 a.m. Christmas Eve, Sims gave birth to her daughter, Halle — delivered right on the fire boat by volunteer EMTs.
KING-TV NBC 5 Seattle
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