By Jessica Fargen
The Boston Herald
BELMONT, Mass. — A dramatic and heartwarming 911 tape released this morning captures the miracle of birth as a Belmont police dispatcher talks a calm would-be father through the bathtub delivery of their baby boy.
“His head is crowning. He’s coming out,” Gian Scozzaro says just seconds into the Sept. 16 911 call to Belmont police as his girlfriend goes into labor in the couple’s bathtub.
The 911 dispatcher, Ted Pendergast, tells Scozzaro to place clean towels under his girlfriend and gently guide the baby out.
“He’s coming. He’s coming,” Scozzaro tells Pendergast as his girlfriend is faintly heard in the background saying “help.”
“Catch him, just guide him out carefully,” Pedergast advises.
“He’s out. He’s out,” Scozzaro says.
A few seconds later, an amazed Scozzaro says: “Oh my God, he’s moving.”
Two minutes and 7 seconds into the call, the newborn’s screams are heard.
“Hi little guy,” Scozzaro says to his son, later named Sinjin.
“It was amazing to hear,” said Belmont Police Lt. Richard Santangelo during an interview this morning.
“Even though it was a stressful situation on both sides, by Ted dispatching, keeping calm, giving instruction, it kept dad calm. Dad did great for his first delivery in a home setting.”
Santangelo said the family came to the police station this week to meet Pendergast. Mom, baby and father are doing well, he said.
Copyright 2008 The Boston Herald