LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Las Vegas firefighters descended into a flood control channel to respond to a report of a woman in labor, where a newborn was unresponsive with the umbilical cord and placenta still attached.
Firefighter paramedic Eric Paul said he was handed the baby in the flood channel.
MORE ON FOX5: Firefighter taken to hospital in east Las Vegas structure fire, partial roof collapse
“A bystander said, ‘Help him,’” Paul said. “And the cord was still attached. The placenta was still attached. He wasn’t responding initially.”
Paramedic draws on experience to stabilize infant
Paul said he suctioned the baby’s airway, stimulated him, and clamped the cord to assess his response — a process he said he has used before.
“I delivered my oldest two actually, and I think on the streets probably, you know, six or seven over the years,” Paul said.
The infant responded to treatment.
“The baby came around and he was actually very, very healthy,” Paul said. “This went about as well as you could ever hope for.”
The mother also exited the tunnel to receive post-birth medical care. Both were transported to a hospital and are expected to be okay.
Tunnels pose ongoing danger for residents and responders
Assistant Chief of Suppression Ken Kreutzer said the incident reflects broader challenges facing Southern Nevada.
“This incident highlights some of the challenges we’re having in Southern Nevada right now with the flood control channels, the different tunnels, drainage basins,” Kreutzer said.
Kreutzer said flash floods occur every year across the valley and cannot be predicted. He said Las Vegas Fire and Rescue has responded to approximately a couple hundred fires in the tunnels over the last 12 months.
“I understand why they do it. It’s much cooler down there. It’s a shelter from the sun. It’s a shelter from the elements,” Paul said.
“But it’s extraordinarily dangerous, not only for them, but for those of us that go down, when things do get out of hand to rescue them.”
Copyright 2026 KVVU. All rights reserved.
