Watch: Houston Neighbours Form Human Chain To Help Woman In Labour

On Sunday morning, Greg Smith woke up to rising floodwaters outside his apartment in Houston, Texas, due to Hurricane Harvey. His wife Andrea Smith, he knew, was about to go into labour very soon. According to People.com, he had planned to drive to the hospital on Sunday morning, but found about 3 feet of water on the streets, making it impossible to drive.

As the contractions began a couple of hours later, Greg tried to call 911, the US emergency helpline number, but couldn't get through.

Greg's mother, Sue Chor, who had arrived earlier to help the couple, was finally able to get through to the National Guard, only to learn that the troops would not arrive quickly enough.

The Smiths - both doctors themselves - were trapped, and their baby was fast on its way.
The couple began to prepare for a home birth, though Greg, not trained in obstetrics, was very worried.

Advertisement

As it happened, however, their apartment complex was home to many medical professionals.

"Mid-morning my downstairs neighbor went into labor. The couple couldn't reach 911, so a complex wide email was sent out asking for nurses and OB's... Suddenly our building was filled with others from our complex showing up to help!" writes Molly Akers, a neighbour, on Facebook.

Advertisement

Meanwhile, somebody phoned a person whose father lived across the street from a fire department, who managed to wade through the water and inform the fire department about the trapped family.

Less than an hour later, a huge truck arrived to help the couple to the hospital, and everyone came together to help Andrea wade through the waist-deep water by forming a human chain.

Advertisement

"I just kind of held on to them one person at a time and crawled along their arms until the firemen helped me up the ladder onto the truck," said Andrea to ABC News.

Watch the heartwarming video below:

Advertisement

  .  

Their baby daughter, Adrielle Smith was born on Sunday morning.
 
"We had two miscarriages before this," said Greg to People.com. "Everything about this pregnancy we said is God's will. That's why her name is Adrielle. It means she belongs to God."