A three-year-old girl has died after suffering critical injuries when strong winds lifted an inflatable castle into the air during a community celebration at a Montreal park. Eleven people were injured and six were taken to hospital after the bouncy castle and tent were blown by high winds on 31 May at Parc Ouellet in the LaSalle borough.
The event was being held by a church when wind gusts reportedly reached up to 50 km/h. Witnesses described a sudden storm that sent tents, chairs and the inflatable structure airborne, with children inside the castle when it was lifted from the ground.
Quebec’s coroner has been assigned to investigate the causes and circumstances surrounding the death and may issue recommendations aimed at preventing similar incidents. Safety experts including inflatable rental operator Cathy Denis said she does not install or operate inflatable structures when forecast wind speeds exceed 38 km/h, noting that inflatables can be moved by sudden gusts even when properly installed. Health Canada advises operators to securely anchor inflatable attractions and not use them when weather conditions exceed manufacturer safety limits.
The incident follows similar fatal accidents in Spain and Australia. Research published by the Public Health Agency of Canada identified 674 injuries associated with inflatable attractions between 1990 and 2009, with children aged 2 to 9 accounting for the largest share of injuries. A separate study by Toronto Metropolitan University found inflatable structures accounted for 42% of amusement ride injuries recorded in a U.S. injury surveillance database in 2010, the highest proportion of any amusement ride category.
