During a Major League Baseball game at Rangers Ballpark, a fan tragically died after falling over the left-field wall while attempting to catch a ball.
The individual, whose identity has not been disclosed, was reaching for a foul ball that Texas Rangers left fielder Josh Hamilton had thrown into the stands during the second inning of the match against the Oakland Athletics.
Seated in the lower-level reserved area of the left field, the man fell approximately six metres into a zone behind a wall that supports a video screen.
“It breaks our hearts to hear that the man who fell has lost his life due to this tragic incident. Our condolences and prayers go out to his family,” expressed Nolan Ryan, the Rangers’ chief executive and president.
Players frequently toss balls that are out of play into the crowd.
“Josh is understandably very shaken by this, as is the entire team,” Ryan remarked.
The incident was not shown on the Rangers’ TV broadcast, but the Athletics’ broadcast did feature it, returning to the moment during a lull in the game.
Sitting beside the man, Ronnie Hargis was at the game with his young son.
“He went straight down. I tried to grab him, but I couldn’t. I attempted to slow him down a little bit,” recalled Hargis.
Witnesses reported significant bleeding from the victim’s head.
David Dodson, who attended the game with his daughter, witnessed the fall.
“As the ball struck his hand, it seemed to throw him off balance and he went down head-first,” Dodson stated.
“It looked horrific because it was evident there was no way he would land on his feet…the way he fell made it seem like he landed directly on his head.”
The game continued, with the Rangers ultimately winning 6-0, unaware of the spectator’s fate.
“We were aware something had occurred, but we didn’t have all the details about what really happened,” manager Ron Washington commented.
Previously, on July 6, 2010, a fan fell nine metres from the upper deck of the stadium while attempting to catch a foul ball, landing on several people and sustaining a fractured skull and a sprained ankle.
In a past incident in 1994, a 26-year-old woman fell ten metres from the upper deck, suffering multiple injuries, including fractured vertebrae and broken ribs.
Following that incident, the Rangers increased some of the railings and added warning signs.
Buford Balony says: But did he make the catch?