ASHDOD, Israel, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- An Israeli cricket umpire died Saturday after being stuck by a ball during a match.
The incident occurred in Ashdod, just over 30 miles west of Jerusalem, during the final match of Israel's league season.
According to several spectators, Hillel Oscar, 55, was hit in the upper body by a cricket ball and collapsed. Responding paramedics discovered he had no pulse, and Oscar died after being rushed to Barzilai Medical Center in nearby Ashkelon.
The Jerusalem Post reports the cause of death as cardiac arrest. The BBC noted conflicting reports about whether Oscar was struck in the chest or head.
Oscar was a former captain of Israel's cricket team.
Naor Gudkar, CEO of the Israeli Cricket Association, called Oscar's death a "one-in-a-million" accident. He said the incident would be investigated but admitted the mishap was likely unavoidable, "as we act according to all the rules and regulations."
Cricket umpires are not required to wear helmets, and such accidents are considered rare. In 2010, however, a 72-year-old Welsh cricket umpire died from head injuries sustained by a flying game ball.
Oscar's death comes two days after Australian cricket player Phil Hughes, 25, died after suffering head trauma from a cricket ball during a game in Sydney.
