WILLIAMSPORT, Penn. — A member of the Utah team competing in the Little League World Series in Pennsylvania was seriously injured in a non-playing accident that occurred overnight.
The 12-year-old player suffered a serious head injury after falling off his bunk bed in the middle of the night at the barracks in Williamsport, according to Kyle Hafen, the team's coach.
An onsite nurse evaluated the boy before he was transported to a local hospital and then airlifted to a children's hospital in Danville, where he underwent surgery.
The boy's family said on social media that the surgery was a success, although no other details were released.
Hafen said the boy was originally alert, but his condition deteriorated as time passed. Doctors are waiting until the swelling in the boy's brain decreases so they can run more tests.
Players on the Utah team from the Snow Canyon Little League in Santa Clara were told of their teammates' injury and are aware of his condition.
The boy's father, who is an assistant coach on the team, told Hafen not to let his son's injury distract the other players and wanted the team to keep playing.
"We've worked too hard to get to this point," Hafen said his assistant coach told him.
The team represented the Mountain region and was the first ever from Utah to play in the Little League World Series.
They are scheduled to play their first game on Friday against the winner of the first-round game between the Southeast and New England region teams.
Players and coaches with the Utah team are taking part Monday in the annual parade ahead of the official start of the competition.
Brian Schnee and Jeff Tavss first reported this story at KSTU.
