Parents watch in horror as children plummet from flying bouncy castle
Two children were left with injuries after the untethered bouncy castle was carried high into the air by a gust of wind at a school event in Krugersdorp, South Africa
Terrified parents were forced to helplessly watch on as their children were carried into the air and dropped several metres to the ground below by a flying bouncy castle.
Two school pupils were carried 40 feet (12 metres) into the air after high winds caught the untethered inflatable during a fund-raising day at a school in South Africa. Footage captured the moment eyewitnesses screamed in in terror at the Laerskool Protearif primary at Krugersdorp, in West Rand, Gauteng Province. One shocked-looking attendant was seen looking on and anxiously staring back at the camera as a child lost their grasp and plummets onto a group of parents forming a human crash pad.
The parents quick reaction saved the child, but she was left seriously injured and taken to hospital alongside a second youngster who was also caught by the group.
One was reportedly left with a fractured skull and the other a broken arm. It is not clear how many or if any other children were on board and managed to cling on inside the bouncy castle, which landed about 50 feet from where it took off. The fundraising event held last Saturday on the school playing fields attended by over 1000 parents, pupils and friends.
School headmaster Deon Lourens declined to comment but a statement on the school Facebook site confirmed two learners were rushed to the nearest A&E unit.
It revealed that one child, thought to be the one with the broken arm, was released the same day, and the other with a fractured skull, was released three days later. The statement read that both children were receiving trauma counselling but added: 'It is with great gratitude that we are happy to share the very good news with you.
'The two children who sustained injuries during the fracture accident at the Protea festival on Saturday were discharged from hospital on 31/5 and 3/6 respectively."
'The necessary trauma-counselling was given to both children, as well as to their co-learners, who experienced the event and thank you all for standing together. We thank you very much for everyone's positive support, help and prayers." An eye-witness with two pupils at the school, who asked not to be named for fear of getting her children into trouble.
They said: 'When they fell I thought they were dead. I was watching from a food stall with my girls when I heard screaming and turned around and just saw this blue, green and red thing shooting up to the heavens.
'Then there was a huge scream when first one child and then another fell out but of all the places they could have landed it was right over a group of parents below. They reached up their arms to try to catch the falling children and undoubtedly saved their lives or saved them from much worse injuries by cushioning them.
'It was not a very windy day but it seemed this huge gust just came from nowhere and it was said the bouncy castle had not been secured to the ground."
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Two children were left with injuries after the untethered bouncy castle was carried high into the air by a gust of wind at a school event in Krugersdorp, South Africa Terrified parents were forced to helplessly watch on as their children were carried into the air and dropped several metres to the ground below by a flying bouncy castle. Two school pupils were carried 40 feet (12 metres) into the air after high winds caught the untethered inflatable during a fund-raising day at a school in South Africa. Footage captured the moment eyewitnesses screamed in in terror at the Laerskool Protearif primary at Krugersdorp, in West Rand, Gauteng Province. One shocked-looking attendant was seen looking on and anxiously staring back at the camera as a child lost their grasp and plummets onto a group of parents forming a human crash pad. The parents quick reaction saved the child, but she was left seriously injured and taken to hospital alongside a second youngster who was also caught by the group. One was reportedly left with a fractured skull and the other a broken arm. It is not clear how many or if any other children were on board and managed to cling on inside the bouncy castle, which landed about 50 feet from where it took off. The fundraising event held last Saturday on the school playing fields attended by over 1000 parents, pupils and friends. School headmaster Deon Lourens declined to comment but a statement on the school Facebook site confirmed two learners were rushed to the nearest A&E unit. It revealed that one child, thought to be the one with the broken arm, was released the same day, and the other with a fractured skull, was released three days later. The statement read that both children were receiving trauma counselling but added: 'It is with great gratitude that we are happy to share the very good news with you. 'The two children who sustained injuries during the fracture accident at the Protea festival on Saturday were discharged from hospital on 31/5 and 3/6 respectively." 'The necessary trauma-counselling was given to both children, as well as to their co-learners, who experienced the event and thank you all for standing together. We thank you very much for everyone's positive support, help and prayers." An eye-witness with two pupils at the school, who asked not to be named for fear of getting her children into trouble. They said: 'When they fell I thought they were dead. I was watching from a food stall with my girls when I heard screaming and turned around and just saw this blue, green and red thing shooting up to the heavens. 'Then there was a huge scream when first one child and then another fell out but of all the places they could have landed it was right over a group of parents below. They reached up their arms to try to catch the falling children and undoubtedly saved their lives or saved them from much worse injuries by cushioning them. 'It was not a very windy day but it seemed this huge gust just came from nowhere and it was said the bouncy castle had not been secured to the ground."
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To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video This is the moment two children narrowly escaped death, falling from a bouncy castle when high winds blew it forty feet up into the air. During a fundraising day at a school in Johannesburg, South Africa, an unexpected gust made the inflatable take off. Eye-witnesses screamed in at Laerskool Protearif Primary School as the multi-coloured castle spiralled up high into the sky. A bouncy castle attendant looked on as one child, unable to hold on, fell from about 25 feet, before a group of parents formed a human crash pad. Despite their efforts, the child was still seriously injured, but the parents had to react instantly as a second child lost their grip and plummeted too. The parents managed to break the second child's fall, but both were badly hurt and were rushed to the hospital, where one was said to have a fractured skull and the other a broken arm. It is not known if any other children were on board and managed to cling on inside the bouncy castle, which landed about 50 feet from where it took off. The fundraising event had been attended by over 1000 parents, pupils and friends. School headmaster Deon Lourens declined to comment, but a statement on the school's Facebook site confirmed two students were rushed to the nearest A&E. It revealed that one child, thought to be the one with the broken arm, was released the same day, and the other, with a fractured skull, was released three days later. The statement read that both children were receiving trauma counselling, but added: 'It is with great gratitude that we are happy to share the very good news with you. 'The necessary trauma counselling was given to both children, as well as to their co-learners, who experienced the event and thank you all for standing together. We thank you very much for everyone's positive support, help and prayers.' An eyewitness with two pupils at the school, who asked not to be named, said: 'When they fell, I thought they were dead. I was watching from a food stall with my girls when I heard screaming and turned around and just saw this blue, green and red thing shooting up to the heavens. 'Then there was a huge scream when the first child and then another fell out, but of all the places they could have landed, it was right over a group of parents below. 'They reached up their arms to try to catch the falling children and undoubtedly saved their lives or saved them from much worse injuries by cushioning them. More Trending 'It was not a very windy day, but it seemed this huge gust just came from nowhere, and it was said the bouncy castle had not been secured to the ground,' she added. It is unclear from the footage whether any ropes, tethers or anchoring mechanisms were being used, though it's required by law. The school's principal, Deon Lourens, declined to comment, and his deputy, Lauren van der Merwe, said the matter had been referred to the Department of Education. A school spokesman added: 'There is a full and transparent investigation underway into what happened and it would be inappropriate to comment until that is concluded.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Oscar Pistorius pictured at first sporting event since being released from prison MORE: Girl sold to 'healer' by her mum for £800 for her 'light eyes and skin' MORE: Trump ambushes South African president with white genocide claims in tense meeting
Daily Mirror
a day ago
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Parents watch in horror as children plummet from flying bouncy castle
Two children were left with injuries after the untethered bouncy castle was carried high into the air by a gust of wind at a school event in Krugersdorp, South Africa Terrified parents were forced to helplessly watch on as their children were carried into the air and dropped several metres to the ground below by a flying bouncy castle. Two school pupils were carried 40 feet (12 metres) into the air after high winds caught the untethered inflatable during a fund-raising day at a school in South Africa. Footage captured the moment eyewitnesses screamed in in terror at the Laerskool Protearif primary at Krugersdorp, in West Rand, Gauteng Province. One shocked-looking attendant was seen looking on and anxiously staring back at the camera as a child lost their grasp and plummets onto a group of parents forming a human crash pad. The parents quick reaction saved the child, but she was left seriously injured and taken to hospital alongside a second youngster who was also caught by the group. One was reportedly left with a fractured skull and the other a broken arm. It is not clear how many or if any other children were on board and managed to cling on inside the bouncy castle, which landed about 50 feet from where it took off. The fundraising event held last Saturday on the school playing fields attended by over 1000 parents, pupils and friends. School headmaster Deon Lourens declined to comment but a statement on the school Facebook site confirmed two learners were rushed to the nearest A&E unit. It revealed that one child, thought to be the one with the broken arm, was released the same day, and the other with a fractured skull, was released three days later. The statement read that both children were receiving trauma counselling but added: 'It is with great gratitude that we are happy to share the very good news with you. 'The two children who sustained injuries during the fracture accident at the Protea festival on Saturday were discharged from hospital on 31/5 and 3/6 respectively." 'The necessary trauma-counselling was given to both children, as well as to their co-learners, who experienced the event and thank you all for standing together. We thank you very much for everyone's positive support, help and prayers." An eye-witness with two pupils at the school, who asked not to be named for fear of getting her children into trouble. They said: 'When they fell I thought they were dead. I was watching from a food stall with my girls when I heard screaming and turned around and just saw this blue, green and red thing shooting up to the heavens. 'Then there was a huge scream when first one child and then another fell out but of all the places they could have landed it was right over a group of parents below. They reached up their arms to try to catch the falling children and undoubtedly saved their lives or saved them from much worse injuries by cushioning them. 'It was not a very windy day but it seemed this huge gust just came from nowhere and it was said the bouncy castle had not been secured to the ground."
