On Dec. 3 a woman delivered a baby at Johnny Morris' Wonders of Wildlife Aquarium in Springfield, Missouri, before emergency crews arrived. Mercy dispatcher Eli Snider guided the mother’s companion through the delivery by phone in a call that lasted about seven minutes. When firefighters reached the scene they cleared the infant’s airways, clamped and cut the umbilical cord, and wrapped the newborn to keep them warm. No further details about the mother or baby have been released.
Baby Born at Springfield Aquarium After 911 Dispatcher Guides Delivery by Phone
02:04 PM, 12/09/2025
On Dec. 3, a woman went into labor at Johnny Morris' Wonders of Wildlife Aquarium Adventure in Springfield, Missouri, and delivered her baby before first responders arrived.
The mother, who has not been publicly identified, began labor around 3:30 p.m., according to local reports. Springfield Fire Department and Mercy EMTs were dispatched to the scene, but the newborn arrived while crews were still en route.
Senior emergency medical dispatcher Eli Snider at Mercy guided the mother’s companion through the delivery over the phone. Snider said the call lasted about seven minutes as he gave step-by-step instructions and ran through a pregnancy checklist to assess risks and provide clear, calm direction while help was coming.
"It can help really reassure the caller and the patient that there is someone there and they are listening and they're there to help them," Snider said. "You’ve got to be the calmest one on the phone."
Springfield Fire Captain Sean Jackson of Ladder 9 responded to the 911 call. By the time crews arrived they found the baby had already been delivered. Firefighters assisted by clearing the infant’s airways, clamping and cutting the umbilical cord, and wrapping the newborn in a towel to maintain warmth.
No identifying details about the mother or the newborn have been released, and outlets report that inquiries were made to Wonders of Wildlife, the Springfield Fire Department and Mercy for comment. The incident was covered by PEOPLE, the Springfield News-Leader and Fox 2 Now.
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