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Firefighters luckily nearby to rescue 9-year-old hit by line-drive

CHARLESTOWN, Mass. — A 9-year-old boy who was hit in the chest by a baseball at a Charlestown ball park was hospitalized in critical condition.

The boy’s mother was at his bedside Monday night and told Boston 25 he was in stable condition.

Firefighters say they were lucky to save him because their firehouse is just a stone's throw from the park in which he was playing.

Sunday afternoon, firefighters from engine 32 got the call and raced around the corner to help save Eddie Quinn's life.

“It's what we're here for. They put their training to use. They were calm about it. Anytime it's a kid, it ramps it up a hundred times more,” Captain Sean Gibbons explained.

Eddie was playing a pickup game of baseball diamond when he threw a pitch and the batter hit a line drive directly at his chest.

He collapsed and went into cardiac arrest, known as commotio cordis when it's caused by a blow to the chest.

"We conducted a successful resuscitation in the field and we were able to restore vital signs right here in the field prior to transporting the child to mass general hospital," Deputy EMS Superintendent Ed Hassan told Boston 25.

Many of the firefighters who responded have children, so when a call like this comes in, it hits particularly close to home.

"You're out playing ball with your kid and something like that, it's the last thing in the world you'd expect, so I'm thrilled. I'm very proud of the guys," Gibbons said.

Because of the incident, the Charlestown Little League is talking about taking some new safety precautions, which include having players wear heart-guard shirts.

“I would say to parents out there that are nervous about this type of thing, it was a rare occurrence. But by all means, you want to take all protective measures which you can to protect your son or daughter from any injuries,” Charlestown Little League VP Al Carrier said.

Commotio cordis is rare, but often fatal. The survival rate is around 24 percent.

The heart-guard shirts cost around $30, a modest investment when compared to the potential loss of a life.