'Please check on my son': Fireman's final words as he lay dying after falling in front of seven-year-old son as he tried to catch ball at baseball game

 

 

• 39-year-old fireman toppled over barrier and plummeted 20ft on to concrete after trying to catch ball for his seven-year-old son
  
• Man cried out 'Please check on my son' in final words as he lay dying
  
• Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton had tossed ball up after he called for it
  
• Mr Hamilton said he is 'very distraught' after the tragic accident
  
• Former president George W Bush was watching from the stands
  

 

By John Stevens

 

Last updated at 4:00 PM on 8th July 2011

 

 

A fireman who fell to his death in front of his seven-year-old son when he toppled over a railing at a baseball game cried out 'Please check on my son', as he lay dying on the ground.

Shannon Stone, 39, was trying to catch a foul ball for his young son at the Texas Rangers Ballpark when he plunged 20 feet as he reached out for the ball as it was tossed up to the stand.

In his final words, the firefighter called: 'Please check on my Son. My son was up there by himself', as his young son Cooper watched in horror from above, witnesses reported.

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Mr Stone's young son Cooper (centre) looks down after his father toppled over the railing and fell 20ft while trying to catch a baseball

 

Tragedy: Veteran fireman Shannon Stone died after he fell from the stand in front of his young son Cooper

 

 

 

Brad Ziegler, who was stood close to where Mr Stone fell, said: 'The people who carried him out reassured him. "Sir, we'll get your son. We'll make sure he's OK".'

'He had his arms swinging,' said Mr Ziegler. 'He talked and was conscious. We assumed he was okay. But when you find out he's not, it's just tough.'

Mr Stone was watching the game at the ballpark in Arlington when he shouted out for outfielder Josh Hamilton to throw him the ball.

The player duly tossed it up to the stands but as he leaned out to catch it he lost his balance and fell over the railings landing on the concrete below.

There was an audible gasp from the stands as baseball fans watched the man plummet down a gap behind the scoreboard.

 

Officials said the man was conscious after the fall but 'went into full arrest' while being taken to the hospital by ambulance.

Mr Stone was pronounced dead at a Fort Worth hospital less than an hour after he fell.

Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton said that he is 'very distraught' after the tragic incident.

 

Fellow fan Ronnie Hargis said he had been chatting to Mr Stone as they had been sitting together in the first row of seats in the left field.

He said he had tried to try to grab the man, who fell headfirst through a gap of several feet that is between the seats and the 14-foot-high outfield wall.

He said: He went straight down. I tried to grab him, but I couldn't. I tried to slow him down a little bit.'

Mr Shannon was a 17 year veteran of the Brownwood City fire department.

 

Fans watch on as the man leans out to catch the ball as it is thrown up by a player

 

 

 

He leans out to catch the ball while his son, wearing a baseball glove, stands behind

 

 

 

Having lost his balance he topples over the railings

 

 

 

Fellow fan Ronnie Hargis, who had been chatting to the victim moments before the tragedy, leans out to try and grab him but it is too late

 

 

Spokesman Bobby Rountree told MailOnline: 'This is a sombre day for Shannon's family, his firefighter brothers and the whole city of Brownwood.

'It is a tragedy that no one can explain.'

 

 

The accident happened in the second inning after Oakland's Conor Jackson hit a foul ball that ricocheted into left field. Hamilton retrieved the ball and tossed it into the stands as players routinely do.

Rangers team president Nolan Ryan said: 'We had a very tragic accident tonight and one of our fans lost their life reaching over the rail trying to get a ball.

'As an organization, and as our team members and our staff, we're very heavy-hearted about this, and our thoughts and prayers go out to the family.'

Mr Hamilton is 'very distraught over this, as the entire team is,' Mr Ryan said.

Former president George W Bush, who used to be the team's managing general partner and often attends games, was sitting in the front row with Mr Ryan near the Texas dugout when the accident happened.

 

Accident: The man fell after trying to catch a ball thrown up by Texas Rangers' player Josh Hamilton

 

 

George W Bush and his wife Laura stand for the National Anthem. The former president was sitting in the front row when the tragedy happened

 

Mr Ryan left moments later while Bush remained in the seats.

Mr Ryan said Mr Bush was aware of what was happening.

It is the second fatal fall at a major league stadium this season. In May, a 27-year-old man died after he fell about 20 feet and struck his head on concrete during a Colorado Rockies game.

 

Witnesses told police that the man had been trying to slide down a staircase railing at Coors Field and lost his balance during a game against Arizona

Between innings, Rangers manager Ron Washington spoke briefly with one of the umpires.

 

He said: 'We knew about it, we didn't know exactly what happened. It's sad, it's very sad.

Oakland reliever Brad Ziegler was in the visitor's bullpen in left-center field close to the area where the man fell.

Ziegler was in tears after the game when he found out about the death. The pitcher said when the man was put on a stretcher, he told people tending to him that his son was 'up there by himself' and asked them to check on the boy.

He said: 'He had his arms swinging. He talked and was conscious. We assumed he was OK.

'But when you find out he's not, it's just tough.'

Bob Melvin, manager of visiting side the Oakland As said: 'It's just devastating. I don't even know what to say. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family.

 

'It filtered into our dugout. ... I made a little announcement to the team after the game. Certainly baseball is not very important in light of something like that.'

:sad2: It's really not worth it. It's just a ball.

:sad2: It's really not worth it. It's just a ball.

 

I was thinking exactly the same. What a tragic waste of a life.:(

And because of that, there's now a boy who has to grow up without his father too.:(

;____;

:'(

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF7VkfArKL8&feature=related]YouTube - ‪Fan Dead After Falling Over Rangers Ballpark Wall [video may disturb]‬‏[/ame]

 

Seems like this stuff happens every year in baseball.

I know it happened last year too. I think the guy ended up being okay, but the baseball players actually saw it happen and kneeled on the ground and put their heads on the ground in disbelief.

 

:\ So sad...

So sad, and over something so stupid too. . .

Obviously he didn't think that would possibly happen to him, he's a firefighter so he deals with danger on a daily basis. Still sad, I feel bad for the son.

 

On a side note, that railing was extremely low. It's almost pointless having it there.

Obviously he didn't think that would possibly happen to him, he's a firefighter so he deals with danger on a daily basis. Still sad, I feel bad for the son.

 

On a side note, that railing was extremely low. It's almost pointless having it there.

 

My thoughts exactly

^agreed

 

And I feel like punching the announcers in the face. How is this funny? why would you laugh? Ugh.

They didn't know, but they shouldn't have laughed. And I love how they were surprised when he didn't get up.

I saw this on the news this morning, I feel really bad for the little boy, imagine what he must be going through right now :cry:

WTF, what is with that railing? Most arenas or stadiums for sporting events here have higher rails than that. You'd think, if there was an issue with fans falling off, you'd go and fix them.

^That was my thought, they could easily stick some thick mats down on the ground by the edge of the pitch.

The railing had to be much higher. Not too high because the danger of crushing is high.

 

Regardless I feel so bad for his son and his whole family. Horrible.

that is just so terrible. i can't even imagine how the man's son is feeling. just so sad :(