College baseball player Parker Byrd made a remarkable return to the diamond Friday night — two years after a horrific boating accident caused his right leg to be amputated.
Byrd was tubing in North Carolina when he fell into the water and was hit by the boat’s propeller WHSV reported at the time.
He missed the entire 2023 season for East Carolina University, but finally made his college debut against Rider on Friday, entering the game in the eighth inning to a huge ovation.
Byrd stood in the batter’s box with a prosthetic leg and earned a walk before being replaced by a pinch runner.
After the match, he said: “I couldn’t be more grateful to have had the opportunity I did today.” The Athletics.
Parker Byrd played for East Carolina University on Friday night with a prosthetic leg
Byrd’s right leg was amputated below the knee after the horrific boating accident
With his performance in the 16-2 win, Byrd became the first Division 1 baseball player to take the field with a prosthetic leg.
The road back for Byrd was painful, as ESPN said on the game’s broadcast that he underwent 22 surgeries in 45 days after his injury, according to The Athletic.
After falling from his tube, Byrd was approaching the boat that was towing him when the ski rope pulling the tube became tangled in the propeller and pulled Byrd towards the boat.
At that time he was seriously injured by the propeller blades.
He then had to be flown to ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville.
