Ump Dubbed a Hero After Pulling Kid out of Dust Devil During Baseball Game

In the midst of an intense youth baseball game, a dust devil whipped up right onto home plate. The parents of the two teams in the match-up probably were not expecting this thrilling of a game. Zoya, the 7-year-old catcher was definitely unaware that he was in for a breathtaking surprise.

This past Sunday, May 14th, the Fort Caroline Athletic Association field in Jacksonville Florida experienced a rare, perfectly placed dust devil. The 7-year-old ‘Sharks’ catcher Zoya was in place near home plate, ready for whatever was thrown at him… or so he thought. Right after the opponent team’s batter had swung and nailed the hit, dirt and dust started spinning rapidly around Zoya. In the video, you can hear a bystander say “That’s cool right there!” While it may have been the most interesting moment of the youth baseball game for the parents, Zoya was a bit stunned. He later told News 4 Jax that: “I couldn’t breathe that much,” he continued: “So I held my breath and I feel like I couldn’t touch the ground. So I kind of lifted up a little bit.” As reported by the New York Post.

Ump Dubbed a Hero After Pulling Kid out of Dust Devil During Baseball Game

The kid felt like he was levitating. The swirling dirt and wind were beating up the poor little guy when in stepped the umpire. 17-year-old Aiden Wiles thought quickly and picked up the dusted baseball player, rescuing him from another few seconds of blasting dirt. After seeing the quick thinking umpire save his son from the column of flying dirt Zoya’s father Brian commented saying: “A kid that just had the presence in mind to just do that it’s just special to see,” Brian said: “It was pretty cool to see yesterday. He had great parents raising him.”

In the face of such adversity, the intrepid 7-year-old did not give up on the game. After being saved from the dust devil, Zoya’s dad splashed his face with water, getting the dust out of his eyes, and just like that, the warrior was back on the field. What an unexpectedly exciting game, it had everything: dust devils, a heroic umpire, and a fearless catcher.

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