On Sunday, a teenage umpire in Jacksonville, Florida was praised for his heroic act of rescuing a 7-year-old boy who was caught in a dust devil during a baseball game.
The game was part of a Mother’s Day tournament involving 8-and-under teams, with the FCAA Indians and the Ponte Vedra Sharks facing off.
As the Indians player prepared to hit the second pitch of the fourth inning, a dust devil suddenly appeared over home plate, bringing with it winds of up to 30-40 mph. The batter was able to jump away, but the catcher, Bauer Zoya, was caught up in the wind and lifted slightly off of the ground.
Aidan Wiles, a 17-year-old high schooler who umpires youth baseball games, saw Bauer in distress and rushed in to help. He bear-hugged Bauer and pulled him out of the dust devil, earning cheers of appreciation from the spectators and Bauer’s father, Brian Zoya.
After Bauer was given a pep talk and some water to rinse off the dirt, he returned to the game. Brian Zoya has expressed interest in reuniting with Wiles to thank him for his heroic act.