Florida woman gives birth in car wrecked in canal

(Palm Beach County, Florida-NBC) August 14, 2006 - A pregnant woman about to give birth lost control of her car and crashed into a Florida canal over the weekend. But what could have been a tragedy turned into a miracle, thanks to a sheriff's deputy.

When Deputy Stephen Maxwell drove along a quiet stretch of State Road 715 between Belle Glade and Pahokee on his way to a Saturday morning briefing, something just beyond the tall grass caught his eye, "I was looking over towards the canal when I noticed a head that was just above the weed line down in the canal."

Maxwell turned his patrol car around and found a young woman stuck inside a car in the canal. Kenyetta Biggs, 21, had suffered a broken leg when her car careened off the road and into the canal.

She called out for the deputy to check on her child. Deputy Maxwell says, "I saw a newborn baby with the umbilical cord still attached and the placenta in the front seat."

Deputies say contractions may have caused Kenyetta to lose control of the car, and crash into the canal where she gave birth, surrounded by water and bugs, and while nursing a broken leg. According to Deputy Maxwell, she was stuck for more than an hour, "She was in the canal from approximately 5:15 to 6:40 when I found her this morning."

Paramedics rushed Kenyetta and her child to the hospital, and contacted her parents. Kenneth Biggs is the baby's grandfather, "She said mosquitos were eating her up, fighting the bugs, but she couldn't move."

But Biggs says he was caught by surprise. He had no idea his daughter was pregnant, "I'm still trying to figure out the baby part of it. That's the part I haven't figured out yet."

Still, Biggs says he welcomes the new addition to his family, and is grateful Deputy Maxwell spotted his daughter and grand-daughter, crediting him with saving their lives.

The baby weighed in at 7 pounds, 12 ounces and was named Myracle. Mother and daughter are said to be doing well.

Posted 2:21pm by Chantelle Janelle