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Bounce houses are an easy way to let your kids play safely, right? Unfortunately, there are risks involved when you let your children loose inside one — for example, you have to make sure they don't jump on top of one another. However, no one ever expects a freak gust of wind to snatch a bounce house containing three children and fling it 50 feet into the air, dropping the kids and seriously injuring two of them. But that's exactly what happened in a South Glens Falls, New York neighborhood.
Boys dropped from 15 feet
A neighbor had set up the bounce house, made by Little Tikes and measuring around 10 feet square, for the children to enjoy. It had an open top and mesh sides. On the day of the accident, there were three children inside when a strong gust of wind pulled it from its anchors. One child, a 10-year-old girl, tumbled out right away, but two boys, ages 5 and 6, were unfortunately taken for a ride before they dropped out. Witnesses estimate that they were at least 15 feet off the ground when they fell, one landing on a parked car, and the other on asphalt.
Both boys were taken to the hospital where they remain in serious condition. Witnesses report that one child suffered broken arms and facial injuries, and the other experienced a traumatic head injury. The bounce house proceeded to lift up, up and away before finally coming to rest in a field behind a school, and reportedly reached heights up to 50 feet.
How can you prevent such an accident?
It is nearly impossible to predict freak accidents like this. Renting a bounce house from a professional might be your best bet, but if you don't, ensure that they are properly secured and double check all anchors before kids get in. And if it's windy, it's better to stay out of outdoor bounce houses. It is possible, however, that this accident couldn't have been prevented.
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