It was the last day of school at Hilcrest Primary School in Tasmania, where approximately 40 children were celebrating when this tragic event occurred. At approximately 10:00 in the morning, nine children were bouncing in the castle when a strong gust of wind sent the castle flying over 30 feet in the air. The bouncy castle came crashing down causing severe blunt force trauma to the occupants.
Unfortunately, five of the nine children were killed, and the other four were reported to be in critical condition due to the incident. It has yet to be determined if the castle was staked down properly or if the wind was just too powerful that day.
Unfortunately, this event is not the first tragedy of this type. Across the world, similar incidents have occurred in the United States, England, Australia, and China. Often, parents look at bouncy houses as blow-up babysitters or are merely unaware of the dangers associated with them. The businesses that rent these for parties may or may not properly install them or even be aware of the risk associated with high winds. In 2016 a seven-year-old child in England died when their bouncy house lifted into the air and a similar incident happened last year in Arizona.
According to backyardsidekick.com, cases of bouncy houses lifting into the air happen every year. A bouncy house or castle should not be used in winds above 20 miles an hour, even if they are properly staked and weighted down.
If you or someone you know has suffered due to a faulty or poorly designed product, contact an experienced attorney at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz, & Stogner by calling 713-222-7211 or toll-free at 1-800-594-4884.