NEW YORK – Greek-American NYPD Officer Stephen Koustoubardis, along with his partner Officer Vincent Chiang, helped deliver a baby on the side of the road at 92nd Street and York Avenue on Manhattan’s Upper East Side on the morning of April 1, according to CBS2 News. It was not an April Fool’s joke.

While on the way to the hospital, the baby would not wait, so the father called 911 and the officers arrived to help with the delivery. From the hospital in Murray Hill, the parents told CBS2 that “their baby girl, Claire, is healthy, but her mother added she was sure eager to come into the world,” and the father added that “he is grateful for the two officers and for the 911 dispatcher who helped keep him calm until help arrived.”

The police officers told CBS2 that “they hadn’t told their own families yet, and weren’t sure they’d even believe the story that happened on a day historically reserved for tall tales.”

The NYPD 19th Precinct posted a photo on its social media with the caption, “It wasn’t an #AprilFools joke when we responded to a 9-1-1 call for a baby on the way. Great job by Officer Koustoubardis who helped a dad deliver his baby girl in their car. We’re very happy to report both mother & baby are doing well.”

Later on, the 19th Precinct posted, “Following up on their earlier roadside delivery our Officers found the Crotty family in good spirits w/ their healthy baby girl. Congrats to the Crotty family!”

Officer Koustoubardis held the newborn baby just minutes after arriving at the scene and said, “At that time we were flagged down by the husband that was already with her at the driver’s side of the vehicle and pretty much delivering the baby in labor at that moment and I stepped in and assisted the husband,” CBS2 reported.

It wasn’t an #AprilFools joke when we responded to a 9-1-1 call for a baby on the way.

Great job by Officer Koustoubardis who helped a dad deliver his baby girl in their car. We’re very happy to report both mother & baby are doing well.

What a special #Easter Sunday. pic.twitter.com/aLOKlJEnpa

— NYPD 19th Precinct (@NYPD19Pct) April 1, 2018

The hospital they were headed to was 60 blocks away, CBS2 reported, “We don’t normally handle these situations and it feels great directly bringing life into this world,” Officer Chiang said.

“Chiang has only been on the force eight months and his partner eight years, but neither had ever been in a situation like this,” CBS2 reported.

Koustoubardis told CBS2, “Training kicks in and you focus on doing what you gotta do.”

“It brings excitement to the job, so I’m looking forward to other things,” Chiang said.

It took just five minutes, the parents told CBS2, for the delivery, “but it wasn’t until baby Claire was safe in the hospital that everyone could take a sigh of relief.”

“It feels fantastic, a natural high feeling of being happy in life,” Koustoubardis said, CBS2 reported.