A mother has commended the bravery of Police and fire officers who had carried her and her new-born baby girl across flooded waters in an inflatable raft.

Lying comfortably in her hospital bed at the Nadi Hospital, Kasanita Musu of Navilawa, Yakete, Ba, and her daughter were in good health.

“I would like to thank the Police and fire officers for a grand job of getting my baby and me across the flooded waters,” Ms Musu told the Fiji Sun.

Heavy rain the previous night had flooded most rivers around the area and the Irish Crossing was under water, cutting off any access from the village to the main road.

Ms Musu, said after the delivery of her baby, it was dark and given the current flooding situation, she put her trust on the brave Police and fire officers to get her and her new born baby girl to hospital.

“My husband came at 4.30am to check if the water was still high and said we could not cross, so I just gave birth at home. Thank God it all went well and we arrived safely in the hospital.”

Ms Musu said the village nurse had assisted before the nurse stationed at Nagado Health Centre arrived.

“She checked us and gave us an injection,” she said.

The incident happened at Nalesutale settlement near Nagado, in the interior of Sabeto, Nadi, after the village nurse had helped deliver the baby girl.

Police spokesperson Ana Naisoro confirmed that Police officers in Sabeto and a crew from the National Fire Authority in Namaka, Nadi, helped transport the mother and her new-born baby girl.

How it happened

All this took place at around 5am where Police officers in Sabeto responded to a plea for transport assistance.

The baby had already been delivered by a village nurse but transporting both of them to hospital was problem because of the heavy rain the previous night.

Five Police officers were the first to respond but were unable to use the Irish Crossing at Tiliva because the flood waters were high.

At the crossing a team from NFA arrived but they also did not want to risk their vehicle crossing the flooded waters.

Luckily, the villagers then brought the mother and the new-born baby to the flooded crossing where Police and the fire officers waded through the flooded river with an inflatable raft.

Once they had reached the other side of the river, Ms Musu carrying her baby boarded the raft. The officers then lifted the raft over their heads and began walking across the flooded river. After reaching the other side safely, the mother and baby were then transported to the hospital in a Police vehicle.

Both mother and the baby, who weighs 3.6 kilograms, are in a good health.

Edited by Naisa Koroi

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