Charlestown Little League Considering New Safety Measures After Tragic Accident
CHARLESTOWN (CBS) -- A boy is in critical condition after he was hit in the chest with a baseball on Sunday.
"He pitched the ball. The ball then hit the child in the chest," Boston EMS Deputy Superintendent Edmund Hassan said.
At Ryan Playground, 9-year-old Eddie Quinn's heart stopped after he missed a pop fly hit by his step-father and the ball thumped him squarely in the chest.
The Waltham boy was revived by EMTs.
"We arrived and found the child in cardiac arrest. CPR and defibrillator were used and we were able to restore vital signs on the field," Hassan said.
The youngster does not play in the Charlestown Little League, his family was simply using the field.
Charlestown Little League Al Carrier said an incident like this is "a very rare occurrence."
"In the past year, I've heard of maybe four cases like this, where this has actually happened," he said.
Carrier added that opening day is next week in Charlestown. While they have a comprehensive safety program in place, heart guard equipment is only optional.
"Clearly, does it make sense to have something like that?" Carrier said. "If my son was pitching, if my daughter was pitching, yes, probably a good idea."
He continued, "Should it should be mandatory? The league is going to discuss this."
Until then, his main concern is the injured boy.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family of this young nine-year-old boy. This is a tragic accident."
The boy is being closely monitored at Mass General Hospital with his family by his side.