When Uwe and Nalia Schiek thought about having a bouncing baby boy, they didn’t imagine that baby would be bouncing around on the briny blue.

That’s what they got though, after the first-time parents had to be taken from False Bay on Lasqueti Island when Nalia went into labour last week.

The couple had planned to have a home birth at a friend’s house in French Creek, but the onset of labour came suddenly, and at a bad time for the isolated islanders.

“The due date was coming up,” husband Uwe said “She was due some time around now and on the evening of Oct. 27th, she said I think this is it. Then she started having contractions and the usual baby things.”

Uwe called midwife Zoe Cope and mobilized her to be ready at dockside in French Creek. Then he called the ambulance service, who, in turn, called in the Coast Guard.

“There is no ferry from Lasqueti Tuesday and Wednesday, plus it was evening, too,” Schiek said. “The Coast Guard got to False Bay at about 11 at night and we have a first responder team that met up with us there. They loaded up on the boat and the crew, along with two paramedics that came over with the boat.”

The crossing to French Creek on the 14.6-metre Coast Guard motor lifeboat Cape Edensaw proved easier than expected.

“They were complaining about how rough it was on the way over, but the waves were going with us on the way back,” Schiek said. “It was rolly-polly, but not too bad. She was having contractions and things were progressing along when we got to French Creek.”

Cam Murray was the officer in charge on the ship, which was temporarily replacing the larger Cape Cockburn, which was being refitted at the time.

“We transported her back to French Creek and I thought it was just going to be a case of put her in the ambulance and off she goes,” he said. “The midwife who met us at the dock went on board to assess and came out and said we can’t go anywhere, that the baby is on the way.”

For the rest of the story, pick up a copy of Friday's News.