Krystle Henry was due to give birth at the Mater Mothers' Hospital in Brisbane — but 24 hours before the scheduled caesarean, she woke to her Taringa home being surrounded by floodwaters.
She and her partner Matt Bridges started planning for a home birth, when a good Samaritan from three doors down ferried Ms Henry to dry land on his motorised kayak.
At 7:15am yesterday, the new parents welcomed baby Angus into the world — safely in hospital, as expected.
"It got a little bit crazy," Mr Bridges said, only hours after his son's dramatic entry into the world.
"She was nearly at her full-term — 39 weeks and four days. We were preparing to have the baby at home if we had to.
"We had conversations about where we would set Krystle up to make sure she was comfortable."
Obstetrician Paul Conaghan said Angus's birth had been welcome good news amid the horror of south-east Queensland's ongoing floods.
"The mum said to me she'd spent a fair bit of time on the couch in her flood-bound unit block in tears, wondering how it was all going to work out," Dr Conaghan said.
"But everything's great, everything's really good. The caesarean went really well. Bub's really well.
"It all worked out in the end."
'I'll have to buy him a thank you gift'
The couple, both in their late 30s, had initially phoned the State Emergency Service (SES) for assistance on Monday morning.
They were put on a rescue list, but because Ms Henry was not yet in labour — and her situation was not life-threatening — the pair were not considered an immediate priority.
After a man they only know as Rob paddled Ms Henry to safety, he went back and took Mr Bridges's mother Deb to the townhouse to look after the couple's two-year-old daughter Olive.
Ms Henry was met by her partner's father, who took her to the hospital, and Mr Bridges joined her shortly after with the bags.
Mr Bridges said he had been touched by the number of people who had rallied around his family at their time of need.
"They were happy to drop everything," he said.
"It's a really positive thing. It's awesome."
He hopes to get to know his neighbour better, once floodwaters recede and he can return to his home.
For now, the helpful stranger is listed in his phone as 'Rob Kayak'.
"I'll have to buy him a thank you gift for all his help," Mr Bridges said.
