Newborn ‘doing well’ after allegedly being left in tent in freezing woods

Authorities say the mother has been charged with leaving her newborn baby in a tent in the frigid New Hampshire woods.

At around 12:30 am on Monday, the Manchester Fire Department responded to a reported pregnancy issue and told responders that a woman had given birth prematurely in the woods, the agency said.

Police and fire services searched the area indicated by the woman but were unable to find the baby, according to Manchester Police.

Crew members spent about an hour searching for the newborn, but “inconsistent information hampered the search,” according to the Manchester Fire Department.

“About an hour later, the mother revealed the baby’s true whereabouts and led police to the area.

A search party found the newborn uncovered on the tent floor, according to the fire department.The baby was born that night, according to Manchester Police spokesperson Heather Hummel.

The wind chill (feeling temperature) dropped to just 6 degrees that night. The baby was taken to the hospital and is “fine,” Hamel told ABC News on Tuesday.

The mother, Alexandra Eckersley, 26, has been charged with felony reckless conduct, police said. She was also facing an unrelated warrant for endangering the welfare of her child, police said.

According to the fire department, babies up to a week old can be left anonymously at the New Hampshire fire department as long as they are staffed. Hospitals, occupied churches, and occupied police stations are also subject to state Safe Haven laws.