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Jumping castles please reconsider ☆☆☆☆TW☆☆☆☆ child deaths

45 replies

Kylie83 · 16/12/2021 09:25

Our little town of Devonport Tasmania is broken, words cannot describe the pain everyone is feeling.

Please please reconsider the use of jumping castles, this was purely a freak accident.

R.i.p little angels.

www.news.com.au/national/serious-injuries-reported-in-jumping-castle-chaos-at-tasmanian-primary-school/news-story/72cce7190128925e8b2425b726165b4b

OP posts:
PleaseReferToMeAsBritneySpears · 16/12/2021 09:26

Terrible sad news. I'm so so sorry.

ShirleyPhallus · 16/12/2021 09:28

This is just horrific, how awful for the children and their families.

MrMrsJones · 16/12/2021 09:29

So so sorry

Love to everyone affected ❤

So tragic

FAQs · 16/12/2021 09:30

I read this morning, awful news. I’ve not read the finer details, was it not secured down properly?

Notbluepeter · 16/12/2021 09:32

Those poor babies. Those poor families. I never imagined a whole bouncy castle could be blown away. It is a hard learned lesson.

TheLovleyChebbyMcGee · 16/12/2021 09:34

From a scim read it blew up in the air then the kids fell off, falling about 5-10 meters. It's tragic that it's a completely preventable incident and I hope the company responsible are held accountable

EezyOozy · 16/12/2021 09:34

Awful. Are they normally secured down and this one wasn't ? I have no idea. I don't let my kids on them yet as they're very young/small.

Valaris · 16/12/2021 09:35

@FAQs yes. The article says: “I’ve been made aware of an incident at Hillcrest Primary School involving a jumping castle which got away in high winds,” Mr Gutwein said.

I remeber a similar story a few years ago in the UK of a young girl being tragically killed on a bouncy castle that was not secured and the wind blew the whole thing in the air.

Such pointless deaths for the sake of securing a few ropes Sad

PestoSugarPlumFairy · 16/12/2021 09:37

This has happened before, it's so dreadful but preventable. Bouncy castles of any kind shouldn't be used when it's even a little bit windy.
So so sad.

FAQs · 16/12/2021 09:43

Oh god that’s just basic safety, I think the UK ones were prosecuted. It’s just so unbearable to think about.

Sillybeagle · 16/12/2021 09:45

My family manufactured and hired out bouncy castles for years (20+) and never did one incident like this happen. Because there are two very simple rules when it comes to wind and inflatables-if it’s over a certain wind speed the hire does not go ahead and they are always, always properly tethered. Even in the middle of a calm summers day with no wind-as the motion of bouncing alone will make then shift.

They should be staked with iron stakes deep into the ground and if tall tethered with additional ropes and stakes. Sometimes sand bags used as well.

It sounds very much like this wasn’t the case here and certainly with other recent tragedies and it’s absolutely horrific because it should never ever happen. Those poor children and their families.

When my kids go on one these days I do find myself checking the tethers first as sadly there are too many cowboys or people who simply don’t know what they are doing hiring them out.

Clymene · 16/12/2021 09:45

I'm so sorry. It's utterly horrific

thelegohooverer · 16/12/2021 09:49

It’s just horrific. I cried at the news this morning. So terribly terribly sorry.

Hemingwayscatz · 16/12/2021 10:58

This has happened a few times now, I don’t let my DC go on them.

StartupRepair · 16/12/2021 11:00

Just utterly devastating. 5 children died.

DropYourSword · 16/12/2021 11:03

I’ve been following this news all day. It’s made me so bloody sad. I’m heartbroken for all of those families, and for all the other kids that were there that witnessed it. @Kylie83 there’s a lot of us thinking of you and your town right now.

HollysBush · 16/12/2021 11:04

Useful information @Sillybeagle, we must always check these points before allowing any children in our care to go on one in the future. Horrific.

FlibbertyGiblets · 16/12/2021 11:09

So sorry, what an awful event.

tweetingminimalist · 16/12/2021 12:02

RIP. Prayers.

IhateBoswell · 16/12/2021 12:04

Oh my word 😩 I'm so sorry ❤️

Greydogs123 · 16/12/2021 12:12

The article did say that the wind picked up unexpectedly, but nonetheless, they should always be secured to the ground. It’s not the first time it’s happened and I think adults need to trust less and make their own checks as well. If it’s not fixed or it’s a windy day, keep your child off them. (Not victim blaming, just think we need to do our own due diligence, same as we check a childminder has the necessary dbs etc).

DoYouRememberTheInnMiranda · 16/12/2021 12:15

But in this case it was at school - the parents wouldn't have had a chance to look at it. My kids school have done an outdoor bouncy castle without even telling us in advance, so we have to trust the teachers to do that checking for us

PestoSugarPlumFairy · 16/12/2021 15:19

My kids were always on bouncy castles when they were younger, it wouldn't have even occurred to me to check it was tethered properly.
Even if they are tied down properly could a big gust of wind pull the stakes out?

nosyupnorth · 16/12/2021 16:58

It's tragic but it's an incredibly rare scenario and I expect the investigations will reveal that something improper went on -- not properly secured, the decision to let the event go ahead when the wind was increasing to dangerous levels, etc

If we banned everything that presented a tiny possibility of a freak accident in the event of misuse it would be impossible to do anything.

Namechangeforthis88 · 16/12/2021 17:06

When I was on parent council and we were checking we were insured for events we were advised that under no circumstances would the local council permit the use of bouncy castles at school events. Just not worth the risk.