Natalie Lucas: 'Hero' lifeguard, 18, delivers baby after woman goes into labor in swimming pool
An 18-year-old Colorado lifeguard, Natalie Lucas, delivered a baby when a woman went into labor inside the swimming pool. This incident took place on July 24 at a YMCA center in Longmont, Colorado, where Lucas was employed as a lifeguard.
When Tessa Rider and her husband, Matthew Jones, went swimming, she claimed to the Washington Post that she was long overdue. The 29-year-old mom claimed that one of the only things that helped her agony while she awaited her delivery was staying in the water. "We knew the baby was coming. We just didn't know if it was going to be a week, two weeks, or today," she told the Post.
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Rider admitted that she felt some moderate contractions before heading out for a swim, but she didn't think they were a solid indicator that the baby was coming. Her water broke just as she got in the water. Her husband, Matthew Jones, who was by the poolside, immediately began going through his phone to call for help. Rider then suddenly felt as if she needed to "push." She then shouted out to her husband and instructed him to gather their belongings and join her in the car.
Natalie Lucas, the guard who was working at the time, raced to Jones, who'd been speaking to emergency responders. When he informed Lucas that they were going to have a baby, she jumped right into action. Despite lacking any official clinical training, Lucas, who has been a lifeguard for three years, stated that she felt her adrenaline spiking. While using a walkie-talkie to inform employees of the situation, Lucas shouted for some other swimmers to call 911. She snatched up a first aid kit and some towels and rushed to help the couple.
"I stayed calm, and I didn’t freak out, because that’s what you need to do in this job. You can’t really hesitate or wait for someone else to come. You’re the lifeguard; you’re the lifesaver," said the young hero. Lucas supported the pregnant mother's head as Jones helped the baby enter the world. A short time afterward, Rider delivered a beautiful baby boy — Tobin "Toby" Thomas Rider.
In a Facebook post, the YMCA of Northern Colorado wrote: "Her labor progressed so quickly that — with support from a Y lifeguard and Tessa's husband, Matthew — this beautiful baby boy was delivered on the pool deck at the Y before EMS arrived."
While they waited for the ambulance that would take Rider to the hospital, the couple kept the baby comfortable. The couple's older daughters, Lila, 6, and Abigail, 2, were attending chapel with their grandparents when their brother was born. The two met their family at the hospital as soon as they got the news.
Even though Lucas acknowledges that she has rescued a few children in her career, she is untrained as a nurse. Following her high school graduation, Lucas will enroll at San Diego State College to learn criminology. While congratulating Rider and Jones, her employer noted that Lucas' actions were certainly not a "part of the job description."
The North Colorado YMCA said in a statement: "We train our lifeguards to respond in times of emergency, and that’s exactly what Natalie did. When she realized Tessa was going into labor, she pushed passed the adrenaline, and she responded with compassion, caring, and grit. " The representative added, "The health of Tessa and Toby was and is paramount, and we are ecstatic that they are healthy and doing well."
The new baby in the family has received a lifetime subscription to the fitness facility, according to the Y. Little Toby will also receive birthday cards from Lucas. "I'm so glad the baby is okay, and they now have a new addition to their beautiful family. I was really happy to help them," Lucas expressed.