A teen umpire rescued a 7-year-old baseball player from a dust devil

Elise Solé
Updated

A teen umpire is being hailed as a hero after his quick thinking rescued a 7-year-old baseball player who got caught in a dust devil.

Aidan Wiles, 17, was working as an umpire during a youth baseball game in Jacksonville, Florida on Mother's Day.

The players were at the top of the fourth inning when a catcher named Bauer Zoya got caught in a dust storm that quickly formed at home plate. According to the National Weather Service, a dust devil is a "common wind phenomenon" that looks like a mini tornado (but with less intensity) and can have wind speeds of up to 60 mph.

"I felt scared, I didn't want to feel like I was watching the movie 'Twister,'" Bauer, 7, tells TODAY.com. "I (tried) to think of something really happy."

In a matter of seconds, Wiles ran over to Bauer, grabbed him and carried him away from the dust and debris, losing his baseball cap in the process.

Umpire pulls young baseball player from dust storm (Courtesy Scott Wiles)
Umpire pulls young baseball player from dust storm (Courtesy Scott Wiles)

“I have an 11-year-old sister, so seeing that freaked me out,” Wiles tells TODAY.com. “I wanted to get in there as fast as I could and get him out.”

Baseball umpire pulls child player from dust storm (Courtesy Scott Wiles)
Baseball umpire pulls child player from dust storm (Courtesy Scott Wiles)

According to Wiles, Bauer seemed "in total shock."

"He was wide-eyed and didn't move," says the teen, adding, "The parents were all very grateful."

Doug Edwards, head coach of the Fort Caroline Athletic Association's 8U All Star team, tells TODAY.com that at 17, Wiles is a stand-out umpire.

"Aidan deserves every bit of praise he receives," Edwards tells TODAY.com.

"As a 17-year-old he’s better at his job than a lot of umpires that have many more years of experience than him. I’m glad he’s getting recognition as a 'first responder.'"

Bauer's father, Brian Zoya, who witnessed the dust devil, tells TODAY.com that after drinking water and clearing dirt from his eyes, his son continued playing two more games that day.

Baseball umpire pulls child player from dust storm (Courtesy Bauer Zoya)
Baseball umpire pulls child player from dust storm (Courtesy Bauer Zoya)

"It happened so fast and Aidan swooped in, then this thing disappeared," says Zoya, adding that Bauer was "mesmerized."

The dad praised Wiles, saying, "Clearly that young man was raised right ... he was selfless and did what was right."

On May 17, Bauer and Wiles will meet for a proper introduction.

"I'm going to give him a big squeeze," says Bauer.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com

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