GRANGER, Ind. – A 14-year-old boy in northern Indiana was killed in a freak accident on Friday while playing basketball at his home, WBND reports.
St. Joseph County officials say Nolan Gerwals suffered a head injury when a basketball rim, backboard, and support bracket detached from the wall and fell on him while he was playing with his little sister.
Emergency crews responded to his home around 6 p.m. and transported him to Memorial Hospital where he later died from his injuries.
Nolan’s mother, Margaret Gerwels, released the following statement to WBND:
“There are no words to describe our grief over losing our Nolan. Nolan was an outstanding honors student at Discovery Middle School and was excited to begin high school at Marian in the fall. He loved sports and played baseball, ran cross country, and enjoyed track-but mostly the field events. His true passion was basketball.
Nolan would spend hours practicing drills, working on his shot, and running game scenarios over in his head. He had hoped to one day play college ball. Nolan wasn’t just sports and academics, he was a genuinely all-around nice guy. He valued his friends and his family. Nolan was a one of a kind kid and he made this world a better place. His absence will forever weigh heavily on our hearts. He will always, always be loved.”
