South San Francisco firefighter delivers baby in ambulance

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Friday, July 31, 2015
firefighter Jesse Lange holds Alexis Mendez's baby
In the back of an ambulance South San Francisco firefighter Jesse Lange helped deliver baby Frank Mendez Jr. on the way to the hospital in July 2015.
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SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KGO) -- A peninsula woman showed up at a South San Francisco firehouse Friday morning to give crews there a big thank you.

ABC7 News was at Station 61 as Alexis Mendez arrived with her baby Frank Mendez Jr.

She wanted to meet firefighter Jesse Lange who delivered baby Frank in the back of an ambulance. It happened while they were going 50 mph on Highway 101.

In the back of an ambulance South San Francisco firefighter Jesse Lange helped deliver baby Frank Mendez Jr. on the way to the hospital in July 2015.

"Either Jesse or the driver asked how we were doing and one of them said 'We are going to deliver.' And I said, 'Oh gosh, I want to get to the hospital first.' And they just said, 'OK, push' and I pushed twice and he came out," Alexis said.

The baby had the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck and had trouble breathing. But firefighters were able to free him without complications and he's doing great.