Child killed after bounce house goes airborne at Maryland baseball game

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WALDORF, Maryland – A 5-year-old boy is dead and at least one other child was significantly injured after an inflatable bounce house became airborne Friday at a baseball game south of the nation’s capital, local officials said. 

The incident occurred during a match between the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs and the Pennsylvania York Revolution at Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf, Maryland. 

County officials said the bounce house was lifted 15 to 20 feet into the air by a sudden gust of wind, causing children to fall out. 

First responders, who were already at the game, provided medical care within minutes of the accident.

The boy and a second child were both airlifted to local hospitals, but the 5-year-old was pronounced deceased.

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"We extend our deepest empathy to the children and their families during this difficult time," Charles County Commissioner 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."

Authorities have not said if the bounce house was properly secured, but there were no nearby reports of wind damage in southern Maryland. 

The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs announced that all activities, including Saturday’s game, were postponed.

The team, which is a member of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, is offering counseling to fans, staff and players who attended the game.

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 "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, general manager of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs stated.

The second hospitalized child is expected to fully recover and was reported to have non-life-threatening injuries.