The areas where the incidents took place saw wind gusts exceeding 55 mph
Credit: Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Five children were hospitalized due to two separate incidents involving inflatable jumping castles
- Two kids were injured during one incident, while the other three suffered injuries in the other
- The areas where the incidents took place saw wind gusts exceeding 55 mph
Five children were hospitalized in one day due to two separate incidents involving inflatable jumping castles.
Two children were rushed to the hospital in Victoria, Australia, while two others and an infant were treated in New South Wales after high winds impacted their jumping castles on Saturday, Sept. 5, according to local outlets ABC, News 24 and 9 News.
The first incident took place during a children’s birthday party at a home in Mount Duneed, located south of Geelong, at around 11 a.m. local time, Victoria Police confirmed to PEOPLE.
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“Two children were thrown from the jumping castle and taken to hospital by road,” a police spokesperson said.
“A large number of other children also playing on the jumping castle at the time escaped injury,” they added.
Ambulance Victoria told ABC that a mobile intensive care ambulance and advanced life support paramedics were dispatched to the scene and the two children were transported to Geelong University Hospital.
The children — identified as a boy and a girl — each had upper body injuries but were in stable condition at the hospital, Ambulance Victoria said.
A separate but similar incident occurred the same day in Banksia, where a jumping castle was lifted into the air by strong winds, NSW Ambulance told 9 News.
“On our arrival we were presented with five patients, three of whom were paediatric,” Emily Cottman from NSW Ambulance told the outlet.
According to 9 News, two 4-year-old children suffered minor head injuries, and an 18-month-old baby was also injured. They were treated at the scene and then taken to Sydney Children’s Hospital in a stable condition, per ABC.
PEOPLE reached out to Victoria Ambulance and NSW Ambulance for comment on Saturday, Sept. 5, but did not receive immediate responses.
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The incidents took place after Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) warned of wind gusts exceeding 55 mph. Thunderstorms were also expected in the southwest and northeastern regions of Victoria, per 7 News.
“If outdoors, move to a safe place indoors. Stay away from trees, drains, gutters, creeks and waterways,” the agency said.
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