That ball takes stange bounces

[dumbref]

NF

Free kick - K pooch kicks high, short and toward the sideline. Kick hits the ground and bounces high and backwards toward the sideline. U blows his whistle and throws a flag for the kick going OOB. About that same time the ball comes bouncing back onto the field of play. Conferred with U, who confirmed the kick OOB, R chose to put the ball in play 25 yds from the FKL - no problem.

After the game, U tells me what really happened. Before the kick touched anything OOB, a K player jumped from the field of play and while airborne, batted the ball back into the field of play. How many of you call this illegal batting in this situation?

What if he secured the ball while airborne and flips/tosses it back into the field of play?