Mother Gives Birth Minutes Before Medevac Lands in Remote Anagi Village, Gulf Province | 20 October 2025

In a race against time and terrain, a mother from the remote village of Anagi in Gulf Province gave birth just minutes before a rescue helicopter from Manolos Aviation landed and turning what began as a desperate call for help into a life-saving medevac mission.

Patient wrapped with her child in a traditional tree bark blanket before being carried into Lae for medical assistance at ANGAU Memorial Hospital.

The emergency involved a woman who had endured a delayed second stage of labour for three days, prompting an urgent response from the flight nurses of the MAMA Foundation. There is no road access and only faint radio communication. The chances of survival were fading quickly.

When the helicopter arrived, the newborn’s first cries echoed through the dense Gulf jungle. The Manolos crew scrambled to land on a makeshift clearing, the rotors whipping up dust, leaves, and panic. The mother, weak and bleeding, was found clutching her baby and both wrapped together in a traditional bark blanket, a fragile shield against the harsh tropical elements.

The distress call that triggered the mission came from Jacob Jessie, a Seventh-day Adventist missionary stationed in Anagi. He managed to reach the MAMA Foundation’s toll-free number moments before the signal dropped. His urgent message reached the office of Governor Chris Haiveta through Manolos Aviation’s CEO, Jurgen Ruh, who immediately authorised the emergency flight. Within minutes, the Manolos Aviation crew was flying through turbulent weather toward one of Papua New Guinea’s most isolated corners.

Onboard the return flight to Lae, the patient’s husband, Sailas Seapso, sat beside her, overcoming emotions as he clutched his wife’s hand and stared at their newborn. Tears streaming down his face, he shared the struggle faced by families in Anagi. “It takes three days for us to walk into Kerema through thick forest tracks just to reach a health center, and two days to Menyamya, since our village sits further into Gulf Province. Seeing this helicopter come for my wife and child, and I can’t explain how grateful I am,” Seapso said.

The mother and her newborn were safely flown to ANGAU Memorial Hospital in Lae, where she was admitted for further treatment.

Captain Jurgen Ruh, CEO of Manolos Aviation, praised his crew for their professionalism and dedication under pressure. “Flying into places like Anagi is never easy. The terrain, the weather and everything works against you. But today, every second counted. Seeing a mother give birth just before we arrived and lifting her and her baby, wrapped in that traditional bark blanket, and that’s the moment you remember why we fly as an aeromedical team. Every life matters. Every flight counts.”

The operation stands as a powerful reminder of how faith, swift coordination, and teamwork can bring hope and survival to some of Papua New Guinea’s most unreachable communities.