Southern Maryland child dead after bounce house went airborne with kids inside

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Southern Maryland child dead after bounce house went airborne with kids inside

Ivy Lyons | [e-mail]
August 3, 2024, 3:27 PM

A 5-year-old boy from La Plata, Maryland, is dead after a bounce house at the Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf was blown into the air while children were playing inside Friday night, officials said.

First responders from Charles County were called after 9:20 p.m. while kids were playing in a moon bounce house at the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs baseball game.

A spokeswoman for the county said a wind gust blue the moon bounce anywhere from 15 to 20 feet high while an unknown number of kids were playing inside, “causing children to fall before it landed on the playing field.”

{snip}

The county said the 5-year-old boy was critically injured in the incident. He was later pronounced dead after being flown to Children’s National Hospital in D.C. … A second child was also injured when the moon bounce went airborne but is expected to survive.

{snip}

Ivy Lyons
Ivy Lyons is a digital journalist for WTOP.com. Since 2018, they have worked on Capitol Hill, at NBC News in Washington, and with WJLA in Washington.
[e-mail]
@IvyALyons

[pat_k]

1. Horrific

[XanaDUer2]

2. How sad

[elleng]

3. OMG!

[magicarpet]

4. Jeez,.. this is not the first time this has happened.

Why is it not a state amusement law that outdoor bounce houses be sufficiently tied down at numerous points where the bounce house contacts the ground ?

Like a tent is tied down with rope and pegs banged into the soil to hold it in place. So if a strong wind happens by the tent or the fun bounce house does not go airborne like a kite ?

[Demovictory9]

5. Sad..they need to weight those things down

[wendyb-NC]

6. That is horrific

Heartfelt condolences to the parent(s) loved ones of the child. That is very sad. R.I.P. , little one. Prayers and healing energy for all, including the injured child.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

7. Using bounce houses on windy days has led to at least 28 deaths, researchers say

Using bounce houses on windy days has led to at least 28 deaths, researchers say

September 1, 2022

Considering renting an inflatable bounce house? Recent research shows that even light winds can send inflatables flying and cause serious injuries and death. … A team of researchers from the University of Georgia looked at various news and meteorological sources, and documented 132 cases of wind-related bounce house incidents worldwide between 2000 and 2021. Those incidents resulted in at least 479 injuries and at least 28 deaths. The injuries, according to a UGA press release, are on top of the estimated 10,000 annual ER visits related to bounce house incidents – most of which result in broken bones, concussions and muscle sprains.

The researchers also found that fewer than half of U.S. states have specific statutes and regulations on bounce houses. Of those that do, 19 use the ASTM International standard of 25 mph maximum wind speed for safe operation of bounce houses (unless they’ve been secured by a professional engineer). The problem: A third of the incidents documented occurred while winds were 20 mph or lighter.

To limit injuries, lead study author John Knox recommends using stakes to secure bounce houses, and even attaching sandbags. An adult should be present at all times and monitoring local wind speeds and weather conditions.

“These bounce houses aren’t something to set up and then forget to stake them into the ground,” Knox said in the release. “What could go wrong? The answer is that it could blow away in winds that are not anywhere near severe levels.” … The study was published online in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.