A 5-year-old boy died and a second child was injured when a strong wind gust sent a bounce house airborne during a baseball game Friday night in Waldorf, Maryland. Waldorf is located about 30 miles south of Washington, D.C. and 56 miles south of Baltimore.
Officials in Charles County said that the incident occurred at about 9:20 p.m. local time at Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf, during a Southern Maryland Blue Crabs game. Several children were playing inside the bounce house adjacent to the playing field when a wind gust sent it about 15 to 20 feet into the air. The children fell out of the bounce house before it landed on the playing field.
A 5-year-old boy was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he died, while a second child was airlifted to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Emergency personnel who were stationed at the stadium for the game, trainers from the baseball team and volunteer first responders in attendance all began administering medical care.
The Blue Crabs play in the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball; the team said that Saturday’s game and all corresponding baseball activities were canceled. Courtney Knichel, general manager of the Blue Crabs, released a statement saying: “Our entire organization shares our condolences with the family mourning the loss of a child, and concern for the child who was injured. Our thoughts and prayers are with them all.”
Reuben B. Collins II Esq., the Charles County Government commissioner president, in a statement: “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.”
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