Nigerian woman gives birth at sea minutes after rescue

She was rescued from a sinking dinghy in the Mediterranean. And minutes later she gave birth to a baby.

The new born baby

Had she not been saved by the Italian coast guard, she would have sunk with the baby.

The woman, believed to be a Nigerian, had been attempting to cross the sea on a rickety dinghy with around 100 other migrants and refugees when it began to deflate.

After being rescued by the Italian coast guard, the woman went into labour as the boat was on its way to the island of Lampedusa.

After giving birth, the woman was helped off the boat. A coast guard carried her baby in a blue blanket.

Both mother and baby were in hospital doing well The Mirror reported last night.

The woman is one of 300,000 refugees and migrants who have crossed the Mediterranean  into Europe this year, up from 219,000 in the whole of 2014.

2,760 people have died this year in their attempt to make it across the sea from the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

The United Nations (UN) yesterday urged Europe to guarantee relocation for Syrian refugees, as record numbers flee to Macedonia and Greece.

A record 7,000 Syrian refugees arrived in the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia on Monday, while some 30,000 are on Greek islands, including 20,000 on Lesbos, the UN said.

Nigerian woman gives birth at sea minutes after rescue