JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (WSVN) — A youth baseball game took a frightening turn over the weekend when a player found himself engulfed by a brief but intense dust devil.
Bauer Zoya, the young 7-year-old catcher, experienced a whirlwind of sand and debris swirling around him on Sunday afternoon in Jacksonville.
“It was really painful when it came right on me,” said Zoya.
The unexpected phenomenon lasted only a few seconds before 17-year-old umpire Aiden Wiles rushed to his rescue.
“I just saw him freaked out, trying to fight his way out of it,” said Wiles. “I knew his little body couldn’t get out of it himself so I just rushed in there and got him.”
“I was not trying to think about bad stuff like ‘Twister’ the movie,” said Zoya. “I was trying to think about happy stuff. I thought it was a tornado coming right behind me but it was actually Aiden and I really couldn’t breathe but I was happy when he pulled me out.”
Zoya didn’t let the dust devil deter his passion for the game. He resumed playing after his father poured water on him to clear the dirt from his eyes.
Despite his determination, Zoya’s team did not win the three-game tournament.
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