A five-year-old boy has died and another child was injured after an inflatable bounce house flew into the air and crashed onto the field during a baseball game in Maryland.
The accident happened Friday night at Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf, where families had gathered to watch the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs game.
Eyewitnesses described the harrowing moment when a sudden gust of wind shot the bouncy castle – with children still inside – about 15 to 20 feet into the air.
Emergency services rushed to the scene at around 9:20 p.m., but despite their efforts, the boy from La Plata could not be saved.
He was flown by helicopter to a nearby children’s hospital, where he tragically passed away.
A five-year-old boy died and another child was injured after an inflatable bounce house flew into the air and then crashed onto the field during a baseball game in Maryland
The accident happened Friday night at Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf, where families had gathered to watch the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs play
A second child was also injured, but their condition is not life-threatening.
The Blue Crabs have cancelled their upcoming game and are offering counseling to the affected families.
Courtney Knichel, executive director of the Blue Crabs, said, “Our entire organization extends its condolences to the family who is grieving the loss of a child, and we are concerned for the child who was injured.”
“Our thoughts and prayers are with them all,” she added.
The President of the Charles County Government Commissioner, Reuben B. Collins, II, Esq., also expressed his deepest sympathy.
“We extend 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 Blue Crabs have cancelled their upcoming game and are offering counseling to the affected families
Eyewitnesses described the heartbreaking moment when a sudden gust of wind shot the bouncy castle – with the children still inside – 15 to 20 feet into the air
Courtney Knichel (pictured), Blue Crabs CEO, said, “Our entire organization extends our condolences to the family who is grieving the loss of a child, and we are concerned for the child who was injured.”
In April, an Arizona firefighter’s toddler died after a bouncy house was lifted by a strong gust of wind and landed in a neighbor’s yard.
The tragedy, which also injured another child, occurred Saturday at a children’s party in Casa Grande.
The 2-year-old, named Bodhi by a family friend, was rushed to a local hospital but was later pronounced dead, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office said.
The second child was treated for injuries that were not life-threatening.
Inflatables cause a high number of injuries each year, with at least 28 deaths and 479 injuries resulting from wind-related inflatable accidents from 2021 to 2022, according to a study by the University of Georgia.