A baby had to be airlifted from a Moray park after it was born prematurely and required specialist care on the other side of Scotland.
A helicopter, equipped with specialist medical staff, travelled from Glasgow before touching down in Elgin’s Cooper Park after concerns for the newborn boy were raised by staff at Dr Gray’s hospital on Saturday.
It’s understood the baby boy was born at around 9.45am and was diagnosed as suffering from lung problems.
The coastguard helicopter left Prestwick Airport with the team and Aberdeen Coastguard were tasked with preparing a landing zone in the park at around 2.20pm.
The aircraft landed, to the amazement of onlookers, at around 4pm.
Doctors assessed the infant at the hospital and subsequently decided that it required specialist care in Glasgow.
An ambulance rushed the mother and child, kept safely in an incubator, to the waiting helicopter and they were airlifted at around 6pm.
An Aberdeen coastguard spokesman said: “There was a helicopter about to land with a baby on board.
“The Burghead team had been asked to make a landing site in the park.
“We were called to the incident at around 2.20pm after a call from the aeronautical rescue coordination centre saying there were concerns over a premature baby.
“The medics went to Dr Grays hospital to assess it.”
Many people in the busy park could hardly believe their eyes as the drama unfolded.
One said: “The baby was transferred by ambulance from Dr Grays, Elgin, along with mother and everybody boarded the helicopter and departed at about 6pm.”
Another said she had visited the park and was shown the controls of the cockpit by the pilots.
Rachel Cormack added: “We have just come back from Cooper Park and the guys have been really friendly and chatty, showing the public around the helicopter, explaining what all the equipment is used for and letting people take pictures.”
The family involved in the drama attend Buckie Baptist Church.
Last night, a parishioner of the church said they had heard that the baby boy was “doing very well” in his specialist unit in Glasgow.
He added: “We only know what the family have said and they have indicated that he is doing very well.
“The family have asked us to thank everyone for their support.
A spokeswoman for HM Coastguard said: “The Scottish Ambulance Service asked the UK Coastguard to assist in the preparation of a landing zone at Cooper Park for the UK search and rescue helicopter, based at Prestwick, who were transporting a medical team from Glasgow.
“Burghead Coastguard Rescue Team prepared the landing zone.”
