A bounce house was blown into the air by strong winds during a baseball game in Maryland Friday night, killing one child and injuring another, local officials said.
Local emergency personnel received a call from Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf, Maryland at around 9:21 p.m. Friday night, reporting that a Moon Bounce House was blown into the air by a strong wind while children were inside.
At the time, the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs minor league baseball team was playing a game, and “the moon bounce went approximately 15 to 20 feet into the air, hitting children on the playground before it could fall,” according to a news release posted on the Charles County government website.
Emergency personnel, baseball team coaches and several volunteer first responders already at the stadium for the game began caring for patients within minutes, the release said.
A 5-year-old child from La Plata, Maryland, was taken to Children’s National Hospital in Washington, where he was later pronounced dead, the release said. Maryland State Police also removed a second child from the plane whose injuries were not life-threatening.
In a statement released by Charles County, Southern Maryland Blue Crabs General Manager Courtney Nichel said, “Our entire organization offers its condolences to the family as they mourn the death of the child, and expresses its deepest condolences to the child who was injured.”
Reuben B. Collins II, chairman of the Charles County Governmental Commission, also offered his condolences.
“We offer our deepest condolences to the children and their families during this difficult time,” he said. “We thank our EMS team and the Maryland State Police for their quick actions to ensure the children received immediate care.”
The Charles County release said the team has canceled Saturday night’s baseball game and is offering counseling and support to families, players and fans who attended the game.