A tragic incident occurred at a Montreal park when a three-year-old girl lost her life as high winds lifted the bouncy castle she was on into the air during a party. The incident on May 31 at Parc Ouellet in LaSalle, southwest Montreal, also left eleven individuals injured, with six of them taken to the hospital. The party, organized by a church, was disrupted by wind speeds reaching up to 31mph (50kph) that afternoon.
Cathy Denis, a bouncy castle rental company owner in Quebec, highlighted the risks of operating inflatables in strong winds, mentioning that she refrains from setting up or running them when wind speeds exceed 24 mph (38 kmph). She emphasized that the large surface area of inflatables makes them susceptible to sudden gusts, even if properly secured.
This tragic incident is not isolated, as similar accidents have been reported in different parts of the world. In 2022, an eight-year-old girl died in Spain after a bouncy castle was lifted by strong winds, injuring multiple children. In Australia in 2021, six children lost their lives when a gust of wind carried a jumping castle high into the air during a school celebration. Another incident in Spain in 2017 resulted in the death of a child and injuries to several others when a bouncy castle became unanchored and flew away.
An investigation into the recent Montreal incident has been initiated to determine the causes and circumstances of the girl’s death. Health Canada advises operators to securely anchor inflatable structures to prevent them from being moved, overturned, or lifted by the wind. Similarly, the UK’s Health and Safety Executive recommends not operating inflatables in winds exceeding 24mph (38kph) and suggests regularly monitoring wind speeds during outdoor operations.
Statistics from a 2013 study by the Public Health Agency of Canada revealed a significant number of injuries associated with inflatable attractions reported over two decades. The study identified children aged two to nine as the most affected group, with fractures accounting for a substantial portion of reported injuries.
