A spectator was killed after an athlete competing in a track meet at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs accidentally lobbed a hammer into the audience, striking the man on Sunday, according to school officials.
The club sports track and field meet was held at the Mountain Lion Fieldhouse campus for high school students across Colorado. Around 9:30 a.m. during the hammer throw, a competitor threw their hammer but it totally “cleared certified barriers” and struck an audience member, officials said in a news release.
The victim was the father of one of the competing athletes from Vista Ridge High School, according to a statement obtained by KRDO13.
The man was killed protecting his wife and son from the 25 lb hammer, Colorado Springs police told the outlet.
Rescue crews from the Colorado Springs Fire Department were called to respond, but the dad was eventually pronounced dead at the scene, according to the release.
“We are heartbroken at this horrible accident and are focused on supporting all involved,” UCCS Chancellor Jennifer Sobanet said in a statement.
The hammer throw is one of four track and field events typically held during a competition. In it, the athlete winds up their swing by spinning in place before throwing a metal ball attached to a wire down the field.
No charges have been filed. The identity of the victim hasn’t been released.
Other sports accidents have struck families in the most unexpected ways.
In June, a child in New Jersey was killed during a freak badminton accident after the racket suddenly broke and pierced the young girl’s skull.
Even as recently as last week, another child drowned in North Carolina when he went sledding and plunged through the ice of a frozen-over pond.
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