It's a boy: Lake County sheriff's deputy helps deliver baby

At 2:16 a.m. Thursday, a Lake Villa-area man called the Lake County sheriff's office to say his pregnant girlfriend's water had broken and her contractions were close together.

Sheriff's Deputy Lorne White arrived at the home eight minutes later and assisted with the delivery.

White and the father did "everything they could to provide stability to the child as it was being born," Sgt. Chris Covelli said.

Just as the baby was delivered, paramedics arrived.

"Both were definitely excited upon arrival of the paramedics," Covelli said.

The baby and his mother both are doing well, according to Covelli. Benjamin Johnstone Crawford weighed 8 pounds, 2 ounces and measured 20.5 inches long, Covelli said.

The Lake County sheriff's office tweeted about White's foray into natal care Thursday afternoon.

"Early this morning, Deputy Lorne White responded to an ambulance call," the tweet said. " Little did he know he would be assisting in delivering a baby!"

While sheriff's deputies receive first aid training, they aren't obstetricians and aren't trained on how to deliver a baby, Covelli said.

"It's a very exciting career moment for any first responder to be the first individual present in a newborn's life," he said.