Two-year-old child dies after strong gust of wind lifts bouncy castle off of the ground

A two-year-old boy has died after a bouncy castle he was playing in was lifted off of the ground by a strong gust of wind.

The child, who has been named in reports as Bodhi Naaf, was said to have been playing in a bouncy castle with several other children near Casa Grande, Arizona when the accident occurred. According to reports, a second child was also taken to hospital, however their injuries are not thought the be life-threatening.

The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office said: "Several children were playing in a bounce house when a strong gust of wind sent it airborne into the neighbouring lot. A two-year-old child was transported to the hospital where he passed away."

A GoFundMe page was set up to help support Bodhi’s parents, Karl and Cristy, who are said to be “grappling with unimaginable grief”. The fundraiser, which has raised more than $138,000 (£110,000) at the time of writing, read: "This devastating loss has left Karl and Cristy grappling with unimaginable grief.

"Adding to their challenges, Cristy is due to give birth to their second child on 31 May 2024. Amidst their sorrow, they face the daunting task of preparing for the arrival of their newborn. As a community, we want to offer our support and alleviate the financial burden that accompanies such tragedies."

The fundraiser was launched by friend Ashley Al-Khouri, whose husband works alongside Karl at the Phoenix Fire Department. The fire service said in a statement: "We are all devastated by this tremendous loss of life. The fire service prides itself on being one big family. Our membership and our department are doing everything we can to support Karl and Cristy during this difficult time."

This is not the first incident in which a child has been killed in an accident on a bouncy castle. In 2023, Ava-May Littleboy died after an inflatable exploded and she was thrown into the air.

In 2022, two children were killed in Valencia, Spain, after a bouncy castle was blown into the air by strong gusts of winds at a Christmas fare, the BBC reports. Seven other children were injured in the incident.

It followed a tragedy in 2021 in Australia in which six children died in an inflatable accident. The kids fell 10m after the bouncy castle was picked up by a gust in Tasmania.