A three-year-old girl has died after being injured when a bouncy castle was lifted into the air by strong winds during a community event in Montreal over the weekend. The child has been identified in an online fundraiser as Ava Ciampini.
The Quebec coroner’s office confirmed the child’s death on Tuesday, with the office confirming coroner Martine Lachance would conduct an investigation into the causes and circumstances surrounding the death.
The coroner’s office also offered condolences to the family and all those affected by the incident.
Emergency crews were called to Ouellette Park in Montreal’s LaSalle borough on Sunday shortly after 4:30 p.m. after witnesses reported that the inflatable structure had been swept up by gusts with children inside. By Tuesday afternoon, strands of police tape remained tied to metal barriers at the scene, which witnesses described as horrific.
Witnesses described the chaotic scene, saying the bouncy castle rose dozens of feet into the air before being thrown back to the ground, with one person saying it may have flown 30 to 40 feet high. Emergency services said the structure was lifted roughly 12 metres into the air with people still inside.
According to Urgences-santé, 11 people were injured, with six taken to hospital, including two children.
The incident occurred during a community celebration organized by the Madre dei Cristiani church.
Get daily National news
Environment Canada reported wind gusts of 50 kilometres per hour in the area at the time. One witness said the wind was sudden, very violent and lasted only seconds.
People at the event said the incident unfolded in minutes, leaving little time to react.
Debris was being cleared by city crews on Monday as officials worked to determine what led to the incident. By Tuesday, the park was mostly empty just hours after the death was confirmed.
Authorities say the investigation is ongoing. The coroner’s office says it is examining the circumstances and aims to make recommendations to help prevent similar tragedies.
Premier Christine Fréchette paid her condolences to the family in a post on social media on Tuesday. She said the circumstances surrounding the incident, which occurred at a celebration, makes it “more difficult to accept.”
Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada said she learned of the child’s death “with a heavy heart.”
“My thoughts are with her family, loved ones, and the entire community, which is mourning today following this tragedy,” she wrote on social media.
“Since Sunday, all of LaSalle had been hoping alongside you. Today, it is with immense sadness that we learn of her death,” LaSalle Mayor Nancy Blanchet wrote in a statement addressed to the victim’s family.
In a social media post published after the incident, Madre Dei Cristiani Church, a LaSalle Catholic parish serving the local Italian community, said it had experienced “a terrible time” during its annual festivities honouring the Virgin Mary.
“Strong winds tore down tents and other objects, injuring several adults and children,” the church wrote.
Lachance could make recommendations depending on the results of her investigation, which would be aimed towards protecting human life and preventing deaths in similar circumstances.
A company that manufactures similar inflatable structures, Proludik, told Global News on Tuesday that safety protocols call for deflating the structures when wind gusts exceed 30 kilometres per hour.
The company’s spokesperson, Jerome Goulet, however described Sunday’s incident as a possible freak accident.
Health Canada advises operators of inflatable structures to securely anchor them to the ground to prevent them from moving, tipping over, or lifting into the air.
A 2013 study published by the Public Health Agency of Canada identified 674 injuries associated with inflatable attractions reported through the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program between 1990 and 2009. Children between the ages of two and nine accounted for the largest share of injuries, while fractures represented more than one-third of reported cases.
Another study by researchers at Toronto Metropolitan University found inflatable structures were responsible for 42 per cent of amusement-ride injuries recorded in a U.S. injury surveillance database in 2010 — a higher proportion than any category of mechanical ride.
The study’s lead author, Kathryn Woodcock, echoed Health Canada’s recommendations for operators, adding that inflatable structures should not be used when weather conditions, including high winds, exceed manufacturers’ safety guidelines.
–with files from The Canadian Press and Felicia Parrillo, Global News
ha
What a sad outcome. Our kids loved our bouncy castle, and this little girl was probably having the time of her life. We usually pinned it down, though I’m not certain we always did. So sorry she wasn’t able to recover.