A footballer’s 11-year-old son was killed by a falling goalpost which left him with catastrophic head injuries in a devastating tragedy at an amateur ground
A young boy was killed by a falling goalpost after going to watch his dad play football.
Bernardo Amorim Calixto Santos loved accompanying his father Mauricio Calixto Gomes whenever he played matches for amateur side Colorado in Brazil. But the 11-year-old lost his life in a tragic incident in the Sao Jose da Lapa region of Belo Horizonte on Saturday, May 9.
According to local reports, adults were packing away equipment after the match while children, including Bernardo, played on the pitch. It is believed Bernardo may have leaned on or hung from one of two movable goalposts, which were reportedly unsecured.
JOIN US ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page
The metal structure toppled onto him, causing catastrophic head injuries, as reported by NeedToKnow. One of the children told Mauricio: “Bernardo’s hurt, he’s bleeding over there.”
Mauricio sprinted over and found his son lying unconscious on the ground, covered in blood. He scooped Bernardo into his arms, rushed him to a car and drove him to the local A&E department. Despite receiving treatment, the injuries were too severe, and he was pronounced dead around an hour later.
Bernardo is survived by his parents and a half-sister on his mother’s side. The family lives in Ribeiro das Neves. A devoted Atletico Mineiro fan, Bernardo’s love of football had inspired his father to start playing again.
Mauricio told local media: “I started playing football again because of him. I thought, ‘I’ll start playing again because Bernardo’s growing up – otherwise he could end up going down the wrong path.'”
Bernardo’s uncle, Mauro Calixto Gomes, said: “He won everyone over. He did everything he could to make people smile. We’re devastated.”
The pitch where the accident happened is managed by Sao Jose da Lapa City Hall. Mauro, 45, told local media: “Other people said this had already happened there with other children, but it never ended in someone dying. We just hope Bernardo’s case is the last, so no more parents have to suffer like this.”
Sao Jose da Lapa City Hall said it “has been monitoring the case since the incident and is currently awaiting the conclusion of expert reports and investigations by the relevant authorities before taking the necessary and appropriate measures”.
Bernardo was laid to rest in Ribeiro das Neves on Monday, May 11.