An investigation into the tragic deaths of a mother and newborn baby who were found “unresponsive” in a city hotel room has been launched. They were discovered in the Leicester City Centre Travelodge on Thursday afternoon.
Staff raised the alarm and several ambulances rushed to the Haymarket Shopping Centre, where the Travelodge is located. They arrived shortly before 3pm LeicestershireLive reports.
Paramedics took the mother and her infant to Leicester Royal Infirmary. However, despite the desperate efforts of the crews and doctors, they were both pronounced dead soon after their arrival, police have confirmed.
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The 67-bedroom hotel opened last year and it has four separate entrances. The hotel's main entrance, however, is through the shopping centre and its rooftop car park.
A shopper returning to his car after a trip into the city centre said he witnessed part of the tragedy unfold as medics fought to save the mother and baby - administering CPR to them there on the rooftop car park. "It has to be the most heartbreaking thing I've ever seen," he said.
The man, who did not want to be named, said he was preparing to leave the car park when he heard sirens in the street below. "I was in the car park when suddenly there was a lot of commotion," he said. "There were paramedics running up the ramp of the multi-storey car park.
"I realised it was because the ambulances couldn't get to the rooftop and were still down in the street. More paramedics were coming out of the car park lifts.
"Soon afterwards, I saw several police cars and smaller ambulance vehicles arriving on the roof. I didn't want to get in anyone's way and there were quite a few other people just waiting there like me."
"Everyone was heading to the main hotel entrance and I knew something very serious must have happened," he added. "Not long afterwards, I saw a woman being brought out of the hotel on an ambulance trolley.
"Behind her, medics were carrying out a baby. I then noticed that the paramedics were administering CPR to the woman - and soon realised they were doing the same to the baby.
"They were trying to save their lives as we all stood there powerless to help. It was absolutely gut-wrenching."
Paramedics used the shopping centre lifts to take the mother and child down to the waiting ambulances.
"It was all over in about half-an-hour," said the eyewitness. "I stood there in shock thinking did what I just saw really happen. It was so upsetting and I was just hoping and praying they would be okay."
A spokeswoman for Leicestershire Police said: "Officers were called by East Midlands Ambulance Service shortly before 3pm yesterday afternoon (March 24) to a hotel in the Haymarket Shopping Centre, Leicester. The call was made following a new born baby, who had just been delivered in a hotel room, and that the mother and child were unresponsive.
"Officers attended the scene and both were taken to hospital where sadly they were pronounced deceased shortly after arrival," she added. "The deaths are not being treated as suspicious, but unexplained, while further inquiries are being carried out."
The eyewitness who witnessed part of the frantic emergency revealed why he contacted LeicestershireLive. "I just wanted to let people know the incredible job the emergency services do," he said. "You hear about police and ambulance staff getting abuse from people when they're going about their jobs.
"Their dignity, determination, professionalism and care - even in the most terrible circumstances really moved me. I have so much admiration for them.
"You don't really realise what they have to deal with, or have been dealing with, before they arrive at the next incident - so maybe it's time they get the respect they deserve."
LeicestershireLive has contacted Travelodge and the East Midlands Ambulance Service for a comment.
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