Woman gave birth mid-flight over Pacific, viral TikTok video caught first cry

It was already a busy day for friends Julia Hansen, 23, and Siearra Rowlan, also 23, before catching their flight from Salt Lake City to Honolulu. Upon arrival at the airport, they were informed that their flight had been delayed for four hours and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) confiscated a sealed jar of mayonnaise from their carry-on baggage.

But nothing beat what happened in the middle of his Delta flight to Hawaii.

Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, a female passenger gave birth to a boy, although Hansen and Rowlan didn’t know it immediately.

Hansen was dozing when Rowlan first heard the flight attendants calmly ask if anyone on board was a doctor.

“Everyone turns around to see what’s going on, and then there’s a lot of riots among the flight attendants,” Rowlan said. “The loudspeaker was going on and off like they were about to announce something, but they didn’t. Then a little baby cry was heard ”.

In his already viral TikTok video, Hansen captured parts of the commotion: from the announcement informing passengers of the birth; going through a rash of applause for the mother; even a team of paramedics who embark to provide medical assistance to the mother on landing.

Passengers cheered again as the mother stepped off the plane in a wheelchair with the crying newborn. (Hansen omitted images of the family’s faces to respect their privacy.)

Delta confirmed that a baby was born Wednesday on the flight from Salt Lake City to Honolulu. A doctor and the on-board nurses responded to a call from medical professionals.

Several commentators have wondered why the passenger was allowed on board if it was close to her due date. Does Delta not ban pregnant travelers.

“At Delta, we don’t impose any flight restrictions if you’re pregnant and we don’t need a medical certificate to travel,” the airline says on its website. “If you plan to travel after your eighth month, it’s a good idea to check with your doctor to make sure travel isn’t restricted.”

Aside from comments like “You just saved $ 20,000 in hospital bills” and “The one time you can cheer when the plane lands”, many viewers have wondered what such a delivery. unique would do on the baby’s birth certificate.

According to the State Department’s Foreign Affairs Manual, “an aircraft registered in the United States outside of US airspace is not considered to be part of US territory.” and “a child born on said aircraft outside of United States airspace does not acquire United States citizenship by reason of place of birth.” But if a child was born in US airspace, he would get US citizenship.

A representative from the Los Angeles County Health Department’s vital statistics office said parents would have to register for the birth certificate of the baby in the county the plane was passing through. Other experts have said families should deal with birth certificate issues in the state they land in.

“If the birth takes place en route, that is, in a moving means of transport (for example, an airplane), the place of birth is the place where the newborn was removed for delivery. first time of the means of transport, or case, the plane ‘, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spokesperson Scott Pauley said in an email.

After the plane landed, the passengers waited for the mother to be escorted in a wheelchair first, then resumed their normal disembarkation, as if the miracle of life had not yet happened in their midst.

“It really didn’t take long,” says Hansen. “After he left, everyone got up, grabbed their carry-on baggage and left.”

Rowlan adds: “It was so laid back … but one kid said, ‘It’s like a scene from a movie!”

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