A firefighter who was driving to work last week was confronted with an unexpected emergency on a country road.
Expectant mother Kate Vandenberg was on her way to hospital with her own mother Denise Ball, but it appeared her baby could not wait.
Luke Hammond from the Gisborne Country Fire Authority (CFA) noticed a woman yelling near a car so he stopped to help deliver baby Hope into the world.
He has praised the mother and grandmother for their calm under pressure.
"The Nan, who I know now, said 'we're having a baby here,'" Mr Hammond said.
"As I walked over, the little girl's head was already out."
A tricky situation: calm under pressure
Denise Ball said she went into protection mode for her daughter as the delivery happened quickly.
"I originally started to panic as we were driving down Riddell Road as Kate's contractions had gone from two minutes apart to one minute apart with not much break in between," she said.
Mr Hammond had never delivered a baby before but Denise Ball said he took control of the 000 call and the baby.
"It only took Luke maybe a minute or two to get her breathing and crying," Mrs Ball said.
Denise Ball said Hope was blue when she was born on Wednesday morning and the umbilical cord was around her neck.
She praised Luke for being gentle and calm during this complication.
Mr Hammond provided his work jacket as a makeshift baby blanket during the childbirth.
He said he was worried for the baby at the time but Denise Ball has confirmed Hope is a very chilled child and settling in well.
"There was a level of disbelief and shock at first," Mr Hammond said.
"I've been told by the brigade management team that they were quite proud I was able to assist.
"I'll always help when I can."
A happy reunion
The group were reunited on the weekend because the family wanted to thank the Gisborne CFA and Mr Hammond in person.
"It was great to compare stories as bits and pieces were a bit blurry due to the situation," Mrs Ball said.
Hope will be a new sister for Harlow and daughter for parents Kate and Braydn Vandenberg.
Denise Ball said her daughter was coping brilliantly and was not letting fatigue stop her from doing her best.
Luke Hammond had an equal amount of gratitude for the family who remained cool and helped achieve the best possible result.
"Nan's efforts cannot be understated and Mum's especially," Mr Hammond said.
"They would have been able to do it by themselves for sure."
