Man dies after being hit by stray hammer 'that flew over hedge' at Highland games tournament
7 August 2022, 17:35 | Updated: 7 August 2022, 17:39
A man has died after being hit by a hammer that was being thrown at a Highland Games tournament in the southeastern Netherlands.
A 65-year-old man from Geldrop, east of Eindhoven died after being hit by a “metal ball in use at a sporting event,” police said. Local media reported he died after things "went wrong during the hammer throw, where a bullet is thrown from a stick."
Emergency services rushed to the scene but were unable to save him. Police are investigating the exact circumstances of the death.
Local news outlet Omroep Brabant said it happened at the Open Highland games at Geldrop Castle.
The event was halted after the incident.
Read more: Impose more hosepipe bans, environment sec urges ahead of mid-30C temperatures
The hammer at Highland games events consists of a metal ball attached to the end of a wooden handle.
A witness told Omroep Brabant: “The pendulum gave way, we saw the ball go over the hedge and then we heard a woman screaming very loudly.
The witness said the victim was a passer-by and not a spectator at the event.
“The victim walked behind a hedge in one of the gardens at Geldrop Castle. Not on the site where the event was held. He didn’t see the ball coming at all.”
Another witness told local media: “The victim did not see this coming.”
An air ambulance was called to the scene and police ordered everyone to leave the area after the man was struck.
