The Suffolk County mother of a newborn boy gratefully cradled her healthy child Tuesday, hours after three police officers helped deliver the baby at her Patchogue home.
"It all happened very fast," mother Anna Punin said through an interpreter at Stony Brook University Hospital.
The Ecuador native was scheduled to give birth Dec. 30, but awoke late Monday night with contractions about five minutes apart. She decided to call for help rather than try to make it to the hospital.
The officers from Suffolk County's Fifth Precinct made it just in time.
"It was crazy," said Punin's daughter, Anna Saquicaray. "Everybody was yelling, 'The baby! Take care of the baby.' One of the officers said, 'Oh man, there's the baby's head!'"
About 15 minutes later, a 7-pound, 4-ounce boy came barreling into the world.
"The baby just, whoosh, came out like that," said his big sister. "The baby was about to fall and the police officer catch it! It was a miracle."
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Anna Punin named her fifth child Jancarlos. She admitted to being "nervous" watching the officers work, but cheered them for doing a "good job."
The officers have been identified as Robert Burgos, Kevin Middleton and Frederick Yopp. All are trained emergency medical technicians. None could be reached for comment Tuesday.
"In a lot of these cases, it's hard to mess up," said Christina Kocis, Stony Brook University hospital's chief midwife. "Babies who come like this generally come very beautifully and without any issues."
Mom and Jancarlos expect to return home from the hospital Thursday.
The baby's mom and relieved dad had a simple message for the police officers: "Thank you."
