Baseball Fan in Fatal Fall ID’d as Local Firefighter

A man who died after an accidental fall at last night’s Oakland-Texas game in Arlington has been identified as 39-year-old firefighter Shannon Stone.

Stone tumbled from a balcony when attempting to catch a foul ball:

Firefighter Shannon Stone attended last night’s Oakland-Texas game with his young son when All-Star outfielder Josh Hamilton tossed a foul ball in his direction. The 39-year-old caught the ball and then tumbled over the outfield railing, falling about 20 feet onto concrete.

A fan sitting next to Stone says he tried to “grab” the firefighter before he fell, but wasn’t able:

“He went straight down,” said Ronnie Hargis, who was sat next to Stone in the stands. “I tried to grab him, but I couldn’t.”

Stone was reportedly conscious, at least briefly, after the fall, telling witnesses his young son was unattended above. He went into cardiac arrest while in transport to the hospital and was pronounced dead.