An 11-year-old boy was tragically killed by a falling goalpost after going to watch his dad play football.
Passionate about the beautiful game, Bernardo Amorim Calixto Santos used to accompany his father, Maurício Calixto Gomes, whenever he had a match.
Maurício plays for local amateur side Colorado, and Saturday (9 May) had seemed like a normal day at the football ground in São José da Lapa, Brazil.
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After the match, adults were packing away equipment 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.
The metal structure toppled onto him, causing catastrophic head injuries, as reported by Need To Know.
One of the children told Maurício: “Bernardo’s hurt, he’s bleeding over there.”
Maurício 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 Ribeirão das Neves.
A devoted Atlético Mineiro fan, Bernardo’s love of football had inspired his father to start playing again.
Maurício 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 São José 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.”
São José 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 Ribeirão das Neves on Monday (11 May).
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