MD Boy Killed When Bounce House Went Airborne Identified

CHARLES COUNTY, MD — A 5-year-old boy who died after a bounce house he was in flew into a field at a Southern Maryland Blue Crabs baseball game on Friday night has been identified.

Declan Hicks of La Plata was playing inside a moon bounce house shortly before 9:30 p.m. when it "became airborne due to a wind gust," Charles County officials said in a news release. The gust carried the bounce house about 15-20 feet in the air, causing children inside it to fall before it landed on a playing field.

Hicks was taken to the hospital, where he later died, officials said. While it's unclear how many children were in the bounce house, at least one suffered minor injuries.

• RELATED: Child Dies When Bounce House Becomes Airborne At MD Baseball Game

In a Facebook post, the La Plata Blue Knights confirmed Hicks was a member of the organization's flag football team and plan to dedicate their upcoming fall season to him by wearing his number.

"All flag players and cheerleaders will wear a patch and all tackle football players will have his number (No. 9) on their helmets," the team said on social media. "Always in our hearts and forever a Blue Knight, rest in honor, Declan."

According to a Washington Post report, every team in the Southern Maryland Youth Athletic Conference also agreed to wear No. 9 stickers or patches during the upcoming season in honor of Hicks.

A GoFundMe started to benefit Hicks' family had raised nearly $38,000 on Tuesday. According to the website, Hicks was a dinosaur lover, Ninja Turtle fan, and loved wearing "crazy socks."

"He was a very special little boy who brought light and laughter to everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him," the organizer of the GoFundMe wrote. "To know him was to love him."

The Maryland Division of Labor and Industry has opened an investigation into the incident, spokesperson Jamie Mangrum confirmed to the Post. The investigation will determine if the bounce house possessed up-to-date certification and followed safety protocol.

The Charles County Sheriff’s Office is also conducting a death investigation, the Post reported.

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly spelled Declan's last name. Patch sincerely apologizes for the error.