Girl dies after beach bouncy castle explodes
Owner of play area says heat was responsible for trampoline’s failure, as investigation launched
A girl believed to be aged four has died after being thrown from an inflatable trampoline which exploded on a beach. Witnesses described their horror at watching the little girl in a pink dress being thrown 20ft into the air when the inflatable exploded with a loud bang. The Bounce About play area on Gorleston beach, just south of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, was cordoned off after the incident yesterday and a police investigation is under way.
A YOUNG girl has died after being thrown from an inflatable trampoline which exploded on a beach.
Witnesses described their horror at watching the little girl in a pink dress, believed to be four years old, thrown 20ft into the air when the inflatable exploded with a loud bang.
The Bounce About play area on Gorleston beach, just south of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, was cordoned off yesterday and a police investigation is under way.
Curt Johnson, the play area’s owner, who was not at the scene, said the trampoline had exploded “because of the heat”. Norfolk police were called to the scene at 11.15am, following reports that a child had been “thrown from a bouncy castle”.
Ambulance crews arrived within four minutes and the child, who was in cardiac arrest, received CPR at the scene. She was taken to James Paget Hospital two miles away but died shortly afterwards. Her family has been informed.
Kara Longshaw, a witness, said: “A bouncy castle exploded at the beach and the child on it was catapulted about 20ft into the air. Please say a prayer for the four-year-old being rushed to hospital after 15 minutes of CPR.”
Karen Sell said: “I spoke to someone who described how the girl was just thrown about 20ft into the air and landed on the floor. The bouncy castle was like a trampoline so you could jump a lot higher on it than a normal one.” Ann Weaver said: “I was sat next to it behind the barrier and I just heard a big bang and I turn around and a little girl in pink flew up and back down. They did CPR on her straight away. She looked a lot younger than four years old.”
Brandon Lewis, Conservative MP for Great Yarmouth, tweeted: “Absolutely tragic, thoughts are with family and friends, just so sad.”
Bounce About advertises five minutes on the trampoline for £2, with 15 minute sessions on other inflatables available for £3 each. Online, the family business advertises rentals of rodeo bulls, bouncy castles and bumper cars from £250. Their “fun city” inflatables are marketed as being “nothing like your normal bouncy castles”, the smallest measuring 40ft by 18ft. Mr Johnson said it was the firm’s first major accident. He said: “My condolences go out to the family after this horrific accident. I don’t know the full story. I believe it was an inflatable trampoline.” He told the Daily Mirror the inflatable exploded because of the heat.
The Met Office’s observatory in nearby Weybridge recorded 67F (19.2C) yesterday at 11am. The owner of an East Anglia inflatables business, who asked not to be named, said Mr Johnson and his wife either supervised children on the inflatables themselves or employed a supervisor. He said Bounce About
‘I just heard a big bang and I turn around and a little girl in pink flew up and back down. They did CPR on her’
had been operating on Gorleston beach for more than 10 seasons, with the castles and slides inflated during the summer, and switched off and stored securely over the winter.
“I know the family who look after the park and I know they look after their equipment,” he said, but he rejected the suggestion the incident could be heat-related.
A joint investigation between the Health and Safety Executive, Great Yarmouth borough council, and Norfolk Constabulary has been launched to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.