Boy dies after bounce house full of children goes airborne

A 5-year-old boy died after a bounce house flew 15 to 20 feet in the air during a professional baseball game Saturday.

A wind gust propelled a moon bounce house into the air while children were inside of it and landed on the baseball field where the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs were playing on Saturday night, according to a statement from Charles County. The county said that emergency personnel already stationed at the baseball field responded to the incident within minutes.

A 5-year-old boy suffered life-threatening injuries and was transported to the Children’s Hospital by the Maryland State Police, where he was later pronounced dead. Another child who sustained non-life-threatening injuries was also flown to the hospital, the county said.

“We extend our deepest empathy to the children and their families during this difficult time,” Charles County Government Commissioner President Reuben B. Collins 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.”

The Maryland Blue Crabs are in the Atlantic League of professional baseball and were playing at Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf, Md. The team postponed the rest of the game on Saturday and canceled their game on Sunday.

Courtney Knichel, the general manager of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, said in a statement that the 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.”

NBC Washington reported that the bounce house was set up inside the stadium for children to play in during the game. The gust of wind caused it to fly over the wall and land onto the field, causing children to fall to the ground.

Witnesses told the local news outlet that the bounce house was secured by stakes hammered into the ground.