Mother and baby safe after woman goes into premature labour on flight: West Shore RCMP

Mother Sadie Ussak is pictured with baby Lrissa. (West Shore RCMP)

Police say a Nunavut woman and her daughter are safe after the mother went into premature labour aboard a flight in February.

The flight took off on Feb. 20 and happened to include passenger Rob Renner, who is a former nurse and constable with the West Shore RCMP on Vancouver Island.

Mounties say Renner had fallen asleep on the flight following a graveyard shift with the West Shore RCMP, but was later awoken when the flight crew asked if any doctors or nurses were onboard.

Renner said he was a former nurse and soon learned that another passenger had gone into labour.

The mother, 28-year-old Sadie Ussak, said that she was only 31 weeks pregnant at the time, according to RCMP.

"Realizing the severity of the situation, Const. Renner took over responsibility of care, drawing on his previous medical training," said West Shore RCMP in a statement Monday.

"Together with the flight crew, Const. Renner ensured Mrs. Ussak was taken to a safe location on the plane to ease her discomfort and afford her privacy while further medical care was provided."

PLANE LANDED EARLY

Police say Renner monitored the woman's contractions and confirmed that she had gone into labour. He then asked the pilot to divert the plane to the nearest hospital, believing that a neonatal team was needed for the risks of a premature birth.

"He was calming me down and telling me I was going to be OK. It felt good to have him there," said Ussak in a statement.

The plane diverted to Thompson, Manitoba, where an ambulance took Ussak to the Thompson General Hospital, according to RCMP.

At 1 a.m. the next morning, baby Larissa Ussak was born at just 3.5 pounds. Police say both mother and baby were deemed healthy and the pair are now "home and thriving, with a great story to tell."

"I was really happy to be in the right place at the right time (to be) able to help Mrs. Ussak get to the hospital as quick as possible to have her baby," said Renner.

Renner joined the West Shore RCMP in 2020, after serving for several years as a military police member in the Canadian Armed Forces, and as a registered nurse.

He continues to serve as a reservist for the military, and received a long service medial from the Canadian Armed Forces earlier this month, according to West Shore RCMP.