A young Auckland FC supporter has suffered a shocking injury after being impaled on a metal pole while leaving the A-League semifinal on Saturday evening, turning a family birthday celebration into a night of distress.
Jude, a passionate 11-year-old football fan, was leaving the Mt Smart Stadium with his family after Auckland’s 2-0 loss when the incident occurred.
‘Just after we’d crossed the main road, Jude was walking just in front of me – not seeing a waratah (metal pole), randomly sticking out of the ground,’ Jude’s mother Mary explained to The New Zealand Herald.
‘Next I heard him cry out and looked down to see blood and yellow flesh coming out of his shin where the waratah had impaled [him].
‘We realised he would need to go to the hospital, so I went with Jude in a taxi, waving to my husband and other three children who were all looking very worried.’
A football scarf was used as a tourniquet to slow down the bleeding before Jude was rushed to Starship Children’s Hospital for emergency surgery.
11-year-old Jude Beattie (pictured) required emergency surgery after walking into a pole
Jude Beattie had just watched his favourite team Auckland FC play their A-League semi when the shocking incident occurred
‘We arrived at Starship and Jude was in agony,’ Mary said.
‘While waiting to be seen [he] started sobbing saying, ‘I feel so awful for Wilf (Jude’s younger brother), it’s his birthday!’.’
The injury, which fortunately missed major tendons, will sideline Jude from playing football for up to a month, causing him to miss out on upcoming tournaments.
Jude’s mother was perplexed as to how the metal pole had been allowed to be placed where it had been.
‘Jude was very lucky that it didn’t go into tendons or muscle,’ she said.
‘I would not want this to happen to anyone else and want to ensure that this is dealt with so that this or worse doesn’t happen to anyone else.’
A football scarf was used as a tourniquet around the wound before Jude was rushed to Starship Children’s Hospital for emergency surgery
Auckland Council told the Herald that the pole has now been removed.
‘Unfortunately, that was too late for Jude and we’re hoping he has a speedy recovery and is able to get back onto the football field as quickly as possible,’ a spokesperson said.
