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At twenty past midnight on Friday 29 August 2008 Guernsey paramedic Mark Mapp received a call and within 15 minutes was on his way to Sark along with the rest of the crew of the Flying Christine.

This trip started off as a routine journey to pick up mother to be Gemma Knight and bring her back to the Princess Elizabeth Hospital in Guernsey to give birth.

Sark's ambulance

As the Flying Christine arrived in Sark all seemed to be going to plan as Sark's ambulance was waiting on the quay and the local doctor informed the ships crew that all seemed to be fine.

So with Gemma safely aboard the vessel set off back for Guernsey when, only four or five minutes out of the Sark harbour, Gemma gave birth to a daughter, Cerys.

Gemma said that at the start of the journey from her home in Sark she was "not nervous" as it was all "straightforward - to start with".

"The crew were fantastic and the midwife was a dream... they were very calm", Gemma commented.

Paramedic Mark said that it was a "very straightforward, natural birth" and that even though it was "a surprise" they were prepared for it.

He also told us there was nothing much to be done except "enjoy the moment" because it is "very nice to see a person come into the world".

Cerys will have quite a story to tell about her birth when she grows up as not only was she born on the Flying Christine, but she was also the first baby to be born in such circumstances in 20 to 30 years and only the fourth baby officially born in Sark territory in the past 40 years.