A PREGNANT mum who was stranded by the Strood has thanked the man who got her safely across a flood... with only minutes to spare before she gave birth.

Kelly Brinkman thought she had plenty of time when she left her West Mersea home for hospital to give birth on Thursday.

But when the 32-year-old and her partner, Paulo, 31, got to the Strood, the high tide - which was not due for another 30 minutes - had already covered the road making it impossible for their Ford Kuga to cross.

But as Paulo paced the road on the phone to his work, low loader driver Justin Tacey spotted him.

As the Gazette reported, after checking it was possible, Mr Tacey, 45, loaded the pair’s car on to the back of his lorry and braved the flood.

As soon as they made it to dry land, Mr Tacey unloaded the car and they raced to Colchester General Hospital, where Kelly gave birth to Lillie Rose Maria Pereira by emergency Caesarian after doctors realised she was dangerously in the breech position.

The mum-of-two said: “The only thing I can think of is Justin was just meant to be there. Thinking about it now, we could be telling a completely different story were it not for him.

Gazette: Lillie Rose Maria Pereira, born at Colchester after help from a stranger to get her and mum over the Strood at Mersea, now at home with Mum Kelly Brinkman sister Olivia, 6, and dad Paulo Brinkman.

Happy family - Mum Kelly, dad Paulo, daughter Olivia, six, alongside baby Lillie

“From the moment we got over, I don’t think we even met a traffic light and when I arrived at the hospital, I was 9cm dilated and they took me straight in.

“As soon as they saw the scan, they basically said: ‘Right, you’re going into theatre now,’ and 30 minutes later, they’re holding a little baby in front of the screen.”

Lillie was born weighing a healthy 7lb 13oz.

Kelly, of Trinity Close, had been given a sweep on Thursday morning after going four days over her due date and already had her hospital bags packed.

She added: “It was only when we were preparing dinner and I was walking down the stairs and I started to feel it.”

Kelly had been advised by midwives to go straight to the hospital because of the possibility of a high tide but they were just too late.

Kelly added: “Something or someone was watching over us that day, I have no doubt about that. If Justin hadn’t been there, I have no idea what we would have done or what would have happened.

“As it is, we were sent home on Friday with a healthy little baby and a story she’s going to be well-known for on the island for years to come.”