As the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry prepared to pull away from its Scotland dock early Sunday morning, Sherita Judkins gave birth to a daughter in the passenger seat of a van attempting to reach the other side of the James River, according to VDOT.
Kamriyn Santia Osborne, born about 2 a.m. on July 24, is the second baby in 13 months to be delivered with the help of the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry crew, VDOT stated in a release.
A shift commander told the crew, “Load and go” after being notified that Judkins, who lives in Surry, was on the dock and going into labor, according to VDOT. But before the ferry could depart, Osborne was born on the Scotland dock.
Kevin Osborne, the baby’s father, delivered his daughter, who weighed 6 pounds and 13 ounces. Crew members found Osborne holding the baby and contacted emergency personnel to meet the ferry on the other side of the river, VDOT spokeswoman Paula Miller said. The ferry’s crew advised the nervous father to keep the baby on her mother’s chest, and a pediatric nurse who was waiting in line for the ferry offered to accompany the group to the ambulance waiting on the Jamestown dock, VDOT stated.
Judkins told VDOT officials that she and Osborne came to the ferry about 1:45 a.m., and she advised Osborne to turn on his flashing lights and head to the front of the line. She remembered feeling, “excited, nervous and in a lot of pain,” at the time, VDOT stated.
Judkins, Osborne and their daughter are all in good health, according to VDOT, and plan to return home to Surry, via the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry, by Tuesday.
