Fan seriously injured by puck in Minsk Arena

“None of us saw how the puck got to us. We were told that it hit the glass and bounced to our friend’s head,” the victim’s friend Natallya told Euroradio.

The puck hit the fan at the end of a very intense match on the evening of May 13. Latvia won with only one goal and the present were fascinated by the game. Hardly anyone except for Yan (the victim) and his friends paid attention to the incident. They saw blood on his head and helped him reach the first-aid post. The young man received medical assistance there and the medics called an ambulance for him. They had to fill in a lot of documents before doing so, Natallya said. They also presented the puck to Yan and asked him ‘not to make a fuss’ about the incident.

Minsk Arena confirmed the incident but did not present any other details. Pucks may sometimes hit viewers, they admitted. However, the injuries are rarely serious. This is sport and there is always some risk, the Ministry of Sport told Euroradio.

“We hope for the better in any situation. But anything may happen. Why do you think that it was not safe? It is a sports event. There is always some risk.”

The injured fan was taken to hospital. Doctors decided to leave him in hospital on suspicion of a double skull fracture. The medics are still not sure what his injuries are, Natallya told Euroradio.

“We phoned him yesterday. There was some bad news, doctors said… But they have not said anything else yet. The MRI has been postponed until today. They think that an operation may be needed.”

As soon as the diagnosis is given, Yan’s relatives will decide whether to demand compensation.