Key Point Summary – Bouncing castle flies off

• A bouncy castle took off during a school event.
• Two children plunged from it mid-air.
• Parents tried catching them as they fell.
• One child suffered a skull fracture, the other a broken arm.
• The inflatable flew 40 feet into the sky.
• It landed 50 feet away after the gust calmed.
• Officials are checking if it was secured properly.

Bouncing Castle Flies Off And Children Plunge Mid-Air

Screams filled the air at a school fundraiser in South Africa when a bouncing castle flew off the ground, sending two kids plummeting 40 feet.

Video footage captured the inflatable spinning high above Laerskool Protearif in Krugersdorp. Dozens watched in shock as it rose fast.

Instead of crashing down quickly, the castle drifted higher. Two children clung tightly until they couldn’t hold on.

Parents Rush To Save Children As They Fall

As the kids let go, parents raced forward. They formed a wall of bodies under the falling children, desperate to soften the blow.

Miraculously, they broke the fall. Still, one child ended up with a fractured skull. Another was left with a broken arm.

The inflatable finally crashed about 50 feet away from where it launched.

School Event Turns Into Emergency

The fundraiser had drawn more than 1,000 attendees. Children, parents, and staff had gathered for fun—until the wind changed everything.

A sudden gust lifted the bouncy castle. Witnesses say the day wasn’t especially windy before that moment.

No one knows yet if the inflatable had been properly anchored.

School Confirms Hospitalization

In a Facebook statement, the school said both children were taken to the hospital. One was discharged on May 31. The other left on June 3.

Counselors spoke to students who witnessed the terrifying fall. Administrators thanked families for their support and prayers.

The school previously endured a tornado in 2017, which damaged several buildings.

Bouncing Castle Flies Off Due To Gusts, Experts Say

Experts warned that sudden gusts can lift unsecured inflatables. Melissa Vere Russel, who runs a jumping castle firm, explained the danger.

She said gusty conditions turn these structures into parachutes. If not anchored, a bouncing castle flies off easily.

All inflatables should include ground-fastening points, she added.

Tragedy Echoes Past Disaster In Australia

This scare brings back memories of a deadly 2021 accident in Tasmania. There, a gust of wind sent a bouncy castle flying, killing six children.

An operator faced charges but was cleared after the court ruled it was an act of nature.

Still, many parents feel safety checks should become stricter.

Parents Describe Terror And Relief

One food vendor saw it all. “I looked up and saw a blur of red, green, and blue shoot skyward,” she recalled.

“Then came the screams. Two kids fell. It was the worst sound I’ve ever heard.”

Yet somehow, the children landed among parents who managed to reach them just in time.

“They saved those kids,” she said. “It could have been so much worse.”