Woman delivers twins in park at night across from demolition site
A Vancouver woman gave birth to twins late
Wednesday night in a park in Vancouver's
Downtown Eastside, with the assistance of
two Vancouver police officers who happened
to be assisting with an emergency building
demolition across the street.
Vancouver police Sgt. Randy Fincham said
officers found the 33-year-old woman at
around 11 p.m. PT on the south side of
Oppenheimer Park, with a "very small"
newborn in her arms.
She was in "obvious distress," Fincham said.
When paramedics arrived, they determined
she was still in labour. With the officers and
paramedics assisting, she gave birth to a
second baby.
The premature babies, a girl and a boy,
weighed approximately 3.5 lbs and 4 lbs.
"The mother and the two babies are doing
well in hospital, recovering," he said.
"The paramedics are at home sleeping, after
a very interesting night," he added.
Fincham said the woman had been out for a
walk near her home, and was caught off
guard when she suddenly went into labour.
It was a lucky coincidence that help was at
hand, he added.
The police officers happened to be at the
park directing traffic around the 400-block of
Powell Street, where a structurally unsafe
building was undergoing an emergency
demolition.
