A tragic incident occurred at a baseball game in Maryland on Friday night when a gust of wind lifted a bounce house into the air, resulting in the death of one child and injuries to another, according to local officials.
Emergency services were alerted at around 9:21 p.m. to an incident at Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf, Maryland, where a bounce house became airborne with children inside due to a strong wind gust.
During the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs minor league baseball game, the bounce house was reportedly lifted 15 to 20 feet into the air, causing the children to fall out before it landed on the field, as per a news release from the Charles County government.
On-site emergency personnel, along with trainers from the baseball team and volunteer first responders, quickly provided medical care. A 5-year-old boy from La Plata, Maryland, was airlifted to Children’s National Hospital in Washington, where he was later pronounced dead. Another child was also flown out by Maryland State Police with non-life-threatening injuries.
Courtney Knichel, general manager of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, expressed the organization's condolences to the families affected by the tragedy in a statement released by Charles County.
Charles County Government Commission President Reuben B. Collins II also extended his condolences, saying, “We extend our deepest empathy to the children and their families during this difficult time. We thank our EMS team and the Maryland State Police for their swift actions to ensure the children received immediate care.”
In response to the incident, the team canceled Saturday night's game and is providing counseling and support to the affected families, players, and fans.
