Tony Blanco reportedly saved fellow ex-MLB player Esteban German from roof collapse

Former MLB player Tony Blanco was reportedly among those who died in a tragic incident at a Dominican Republic nightclub early Tuesday morning, and he apparently saved a fellow ex-MLB player’s life during the incident.

Dominican authorities have said that more than 58 people died and 160 others were injured when the roof collapsed during a concert at a nightclub called Jet Set in Santo Domingo. Reports have indicated that at least three former MLB players were at the venue.

Hector Gomez reported on Tuesday that former relief pitcher and World Series champion Octavio Dotel survived the initial collapse but succumbed to his injuries while being transported to a local hospital. Dotel was 51.

Gomez later shared the news that former first baseman Tony Blanco also died in the collapse. Blanco played in the minors with the Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds in the early 2000s before spending a brief period in the majors with the Washington Nationals in 2005.

Another former MLB player, Esteban German, told Gomez that he was with Blanco at the nightclub. German said he had just returned to a table from the bathroom when Blanco noticed that the ceiling was collapsing and pushed German out of the way.

German said Blanco died seconds after the ceiling collapsed. Blanco was 43.

German spent time in the majors with the Oakland A’s, Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals between 2002-2011. The former infielder batted .280 across 409 career MLB games.

The death toll from the incident could continue to rise, as search and rescue efforts were ongoing as of Tuesday evening.