The Dutch Highland Games, games inspired by the traditions of Scotland, ended in tragedy this year when a man died in an accident while throwing the hammer. The person killed in the incident, which took place at Geldrop Castle over the weekend, is a 65-year-old local man. As DutchNews.nl explains, the police are still investigating the circumstances of the incident that took place on Sunday afternoon. The man died after being hit in the head during the hammer throwing competition, which involved throwing a heavy metal ball attached to a stick, in this case weighing 7.5 kilos.
According to initial reconstructions, the man was behind a hedge in another part of the structure when he was hit by the object, which he did not see coming. The aim of the game is to throw the ball as far as possible and the competitor is in a protective cage that prevents the hammer from crossing the field. But apparently, in this case, the hammer thrown the wrong way by mistake slipped past the guards and landed in the victim’s yard. The Highland Games are a Scottish tradition that has spread beyond the British nation and is now played by several dozen people in the Netherlands. The next event will take place in Zeeland on August 21st, but the hammer throw will not be part of the competition. “It’s too risky for the public,” the organizers said.