5-year-old killed after wind propels bounce house into the air

A 5-year-old boy was killed and another child was injured when the bounce house they were playing in lifted 15 to 20 feet in the air by the wind during a baseball game Friday night, officials in Maryland said.

The bounce house was in the right field stands of Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf, Maryland, during the game between the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs and the York Revolution, members of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball league.

Around 9:21 p.m., stadium officials called 911 after the wind gust lifted the bounce house causing children to fall before it landed on the field, officials from Charles County, Maryland, said in a statement.

EMS crews who were already at the stadium, trainers from the baseball team and several volunteer first responders who were in attendance, rushed to the children’s aid, according to county officials.

The unidentified 5-year-old victim, who was from La Plata, Maryland, was rushed to Children’s Hospital but pronounced dead later in the night, officials said.

A second child suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was airlifted to a hospital, according to officials.

“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 Southern Maryland Blue Crabs canceled Saturday’s game and are offering counseling and support to families, players and fans who attended the game.

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