Bounce house filled with children goes airborne, 5-year-old boy killed

A 5-year-old boy was killed when a bounce house he and other children were playing in, was picked up by a gust of wind during a baseball game.

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The bounce house had been set up at a Southern Maryland Blue Crabs baseball game in Waldorf, Maryland, on Friday, WRC reported. It was at Regency Furniture Stadium for kids to play in while the baseball game happened.

The Blue Crabs are part of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, ABC News reported.

The wind gust picked the bounce house up around 9:21 p.m., tossing it over a wall, dropping children from it, ABC and WRC reported. The huge balloon-like structure landed on the baseball field. It flew about 15 to 20 feet in the air WTTG reported.

Officials did not say how the wind picked up the bounce house or whether the inflatable attraction was not anchored correctly. It could also be a combination of issues, WRC reported.

Witnesses said it was staked to the ground.

EMS teams and the baseball trainers along with first responders who had been attending the game helped the children, ABC News reported.

The boy killed was identified as Declan Hicks, from La Plata, Maryland, according to WTTG . His flag football team and church confirmed the sad news.

His coach, Chris Blondin, told the news station that Declan was going to be playing flag football for a second year.

“He was an awesome kid. Great kid. Great teammate, easy to coach. Just an all-around awesome kid. Always laughing, smiling, goofing around about something,” Blondin said Sunday. “Someone you want on the team.”

Declan had been flown to an area children’s hospital where he died. A second child was hurt but had non-life-threatening injuries. That child was also flown from the scene.

The Blue Crabs canceled Saturday’s game and offered counseling to family members, players and fans, ABC News reported.