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Fan dies after falling from stands at Rangers game
The Texas Rangers baseball organization is offering condolences Friday, after a fan died when he fell from the stands while trying to catch a tossed ball.
Shannon Stone was at the Rangers-Oakland game at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Texas Thursday night, sitting in the stands overlooking the outfield with his son.
In the second inning of the game, the 39-year-old firefighter reached for a retrieved foul ball tossed to the stands by Rangers all-star outfielder Josh Hamilton. But in his attempt to grab the souvenir, Stone tumbled over the railing and fell approximately six metres to the concrete below.
Although Stone fell behind the outfield wall, and was therefore obscured from most of the stadium's view, his young son watched the fall. Witnesses say the Brownwood Fire Department veteran was still conscious after his hard landing.
He was immediately attended to, but reportedly went into full cardiac arrest while en route to the Fort Worth hospital where he was pronounced dead less than an hour later.
After the game, which went on to end with a 6-0 Texas win, the Rangers' clubhouse was closed to reporters. Team president Nolan Ryan nevertheless expressed his organization's concern.
"We had a very tragic accident tonight and one of our fans lost their life reaching over the rail trying to get a ball," Ryan told reporters. "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."
Oakland reliever Brad Ziegler, who was in the visitor's left-centre field bullpen not far from where Stone fell, said after the game that he had seen Stone asking about his son as he was being put on a stretcher.
"He had his arms swinging. He talked and was conscious. We assumed he was OK," Ziegler said, describing the injured dad's pleas at the time that someone attend to his son who was "up there by himself."
Through tears, Ziegler said it was painful to learn his initial assumption the man would be okay was wrong.
"But when you find out he's not, it's just tough."
As for the all-star outfielder who answered Stone's calls for him to toss the ball into the stands, Ryan said he was understandably upset.
"I think as any of us would be, Josh is very distraught over this as the entire team is," Ryan said.
Manager Ron Washington also weighed in, suggesting that, "Josh is fine -- outwards he's fine. I guess he's got to deal with it in his own way."
Almost one year ago to the day, another fan tumbled over the rail. Tyler Morris, who was also a firefighter, fell nine-metres while trying to catch a foul ball.
His tumble from the second-deck of seats down the right-field line onto some seats below resulted in a fractured skull and a sprained ankle.
A fan who fell during a Colorado Rockies game this year was not so lucky, however. His six-metre plunge ended with a fatal head injury. That incident was not precipitated by a failed catch, but witnesses said it was the result of the man losing his balance while trying to slide down a staircase.
When asked whether the Texas Rangers baseball organization would consider any changes to the stadium, Ryan said it was too soon to discuss
"Tonight, we're not prepared to speak about anything further than the accident and the tragedy," Ryan told reporters. "That's where I'm going to leave it."
A friend of the Stone family released a statement on Friday, expressing their devastation at the tragedy. They also thanked the public for its support, but asked for privacy moving forward.
With files from The Associated Press
Firefighters remember co-worker who died at Rangers game
Members of the Brownwood Fire Department in Texas are mourning the death of their co-worker who fell over a railing at a Rangers game Thursday night and died.
Shannon Stone, 39, tumbled when he tried to catch a ball thrown by outfielder Josh Hamilton, instead landing on concrete 20 feet below. He was taken by ambulance to a Fort Worth hospital and pronounced dead.
"You worry about him getting hurt fighting a fire, and I always worry about that with my guys, but this is something you don't expect," Brownwood fire chief Del Albright told ESPN.com.
Albright said he learned of Stone's death when he received a call Thursday from a person in the Arlington Fire Department wanting to confirm Stone worked in Brownwood, which is about 150 miles southwest of Arlington.
Stone's 6-year-old son witnessed the accident. Albright said he and the rest of the family returned to Brownwood Friday morning.
"(Stone) was so dedicated to his son and family and a dedicated firefighter," Albright said. "Whenever he was off duty, he was with his son. We had officer meetings and I would ask him to come in on his day off to attend those and nine out of 10 times he had his son with him. He was dependable. I left him in charge of many fires I went to because I knew he could handle it."
According to ESPN.com, Stone was a lieutenant and in charge of Station 2 and ran one of the engine companies, which included three other firefighters.
"I guess probably the most important thing to remember about him is he had a heart of gold," said Captain Robert Myers. "He had a rough exterior, but he'd do anything for anybody and he loved the fire service and the guys he worked with and his family. He had that little boy with him 24-7 when he was around."
The Texas Rangers baseball organization is offering condolences Friday, after a fan died when he fell from the stands while trying to catch a tossed ball.
Shannon Stone was at the Rangers-Oakland game at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Texas Thursday night, sitting in the stands overlooking the outfield with his son.
In the second inning of the game, the 39-year-old firefighter reached for a retrieved foul ball tossed to the stands by Rangers all-star outfielder Josh Hamilton. But in his attempt to grab the souvenir, Stone tumbled over the railing and fell approximately six metres to the concrete below.
Although Stone fell behind the outfield wall, and was therefore obscured from most of the stadium's view, his young son watched the fall. Witnesses say the Brownwood Fire Department veteran was still conscious after his hard landing.
He was immediately attended to, but reportedly went into full cardiac arrest while en route to the Fort Worth hospital where he was pronounced dead less than an hour later.
After the game, which went on to end with a 6-0 Texas win, the Rangers' clubhouse was closed to reporters. Team president Nolan Ryan nevertheless expressed his organization's concern.
"We had a very tragic accident tonight and one of our fans lost their life reaching over the rail trying to get a ball," Ryan told reporters. "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."
Oakland reliever Brad Ziegler, who was in the visitor's left-centre field bullpen not far from where Stone fell, said after the game that he had seen Stone asking about his son as he was being put on a stretcher.
"He had his arms swinging. He talked and was conscious. We assumed he was OK," Ziegler said, describing the injured dad's pleas at the time that someone attend to his son who was "up there by himself."
Through tears, Ziegler said it was painful to learn his initial assumption the man would be okay was wrong.
"But when you find out he's not, it's just tough."
As for the all-star outfielder who answered Stone's calls for him to toss the ball into the stands, Ryan said he was understandably upset.
"I think as any of us would be, Josh is very distraught over this as the entire team is," Ryan said.
Manager Ron Washington also weighed in, suggesting that, "Josh is fine -- outwards he's fine. I guess he's got to deal with it in his own way."
Almost one year ago to the day, another fan tumbled over the rail. Tyler Morris, who was also a firefighter, fell nine-metres while trying to catch a foul ball.
His tumble from the second-deck of seats down the right-field line onto some seats below resulted in a fractured skull and a sprained ankle.
A fan who fell during a Colorado Rockies game this year was not so lucky, however. His six-metre plunge ended with a fatal head injury. That incident was not precipitated by a failed catch, but witnesses said it was the result of the man losing his balance while trying to slide down a staircase.
When asked whether the Texas Rangers baseball organization would consider any changes to the stadium, Ryan said it was too soon to discuss
"Tonight, we're not prepared to speak about anything further than the accident and the tragedy," Ryan told reporters. "That's where I'm going to leave it."
A friend of the Stone family released a statement on Friday, expressing their devastation at the tragedy. They also thanked the public for its support, but asked for privacy moving forward.
With files from The Associated Press
Firefighters remember co-worker who died at Rangers game
Members of the Brownwood Fire Department in Texas are mourning the death of their co-worker who fell over a railing at a Rangers game Thursday night and died.
Shannon Stone, 39, tumbled when he tried to catch a ball thrown by outfielder Josh Hamilton, instead landing on concrete 20 feet below. He was taken by ambulance to a Fort Worth hospital and pronounced dead.
"You worry about him getting hurt fighting a fire, and I always worry about that with my guys, but this is something you don't expect," Brownwood fire chief Del Albright told ESPN.com.
Albright said he learned of Stone's death when he received a call Thursday from a person in the Arlington Fire Department wanting to confirm Stone worked in Brownwood, which is about 150 miles southwest of Arlington.
Stone's 6-year-old son witnessed the accident. Albright said he and the rest of the family returned to Brownwood Friday morning.
"(Stone) was so dedicated to his son and family and a dedicated firefighter," Albright said. "Whenever he was off duty, he was with his son. We had officer meetings and I would ask him to come in on his day off to attend those and nine out of 10 times he had his son with him. He was dependable. I left him in charge of many fires I went to because I knew he could handle it."
According to ESPN.com, Stone was a lieutenant and in charge of Station 2 and ran one of the engine companies, which included three other firefighters.
"I guess probably the most important thing to remember about him is he had a heart of gold," said Captain Robert Myers. "He had a rough exterior, but he'd do anything for anybody and he loved the fire service and the guys he worked with and his family. He had that little boy with him 24-7 when he was around."