It was a frightening scene at a youth baseball game as a swirling funnel of wind and dust engulfed a 7-year-old catcher on a Jacksonville, Florida baseball field.
Bauer Zoya was playing the position of catcher as a funnel cloud of dust and debris swirled over the boy, surrounding him. It wasn't immediately clear how dangerous the situation would be for a boy of his size, but a quick-thinking umpire jumped into action and removed Zoya from the field.
It was estimated that the wind speed for the vortex could have been rushing anywhere from 30 to 40 miles per hour.
17-year-old Aidan Wiles, a junior in high school, can be seen on video rushing to grab the boy as the strong dust devil knocks off his hat, and can be heard on a microphone spinning powerfully over home plate.
Wiles told local media, "I just saw him freaked out, just like couldn’t find his way out, and I knew his little body couldn’t handle it, so I just rushed in and got him."
Zoya said, "At first, I was scared, but I just told myself to think of happy thoughts. Then I thought the twister got me, but it was Aidan, and I could breathe again."
Zoya was not seriously injured and said of Aidan, "Next time I see him, I just want to say thank you."
The young boy's father cleaned the dust off of him with water, and made sure his eyes were OK and he was able to go back to playing the rest of the game.
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