Declan Hicks’ father spoke with News4 about his family’s unimaginable loss. “Words just can’t explain how remarkable he was,” he said. Go here for updates.
A bounce house with children inside flew onto a baseball field during a Southern Maryland Blue Crabs game in Waldorf, Maryland, on Friday, killing a 5-year-old and injuring a 6-year-old, authorities say.
Declan Hicks was the victim, a representative for his family told News4.
He had life-threatening injuries and was airlifted to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
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Another child also was rushed to a hospital via helicopter with injuries not expected to be life-threatening, Charles County EMS said.
The bounce house was set up at a Blue Crabs game in Regency Furniture Stadium to entertain kids while the team played. A wind gust carried it over a wall and onto the playing field, causing children to fall out and onto the ground.
Charles County EMS personnel at the stadium for the game rushed to care for injured children. Trainers from the baseball team and volunteer first responders in the stands also helped.
It was unclear how many children were inside the bounce house when it became airborne.
Emergency personnel responded to a 911 call just before 9:30 p.m. saying a bounce house with children inside flew 15 and 20 feet into the air because of a gust of wind.
“We extend our deepest empathy to the children and their families during this difficult time,” Charles County Board of County Commissioners President Reuben B. Collins II said in a statement. “We thank our EMS team and the Maryland State Police for their swift actions to ensure the children received immediate care.”
It was not immediately clear how the wind gust was able to lift the bounce house, and whether it got loose because of the sheer power of the wind, the bounce house being improperly secured or a combination of factors.
Witnesses told News4 the bounce house was secured by stakes hammered into the ground.
The Blue Crabs cancelled Saturday night's scheduled baseball game and all other activities for the day. The team offered "counseling and support to families, players and fans who attended the game," they said in a statement.
The team's general manager, Courtney Knichel, said, "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."
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