Key Highlights :
On Sunday, June 4th, a nine-year-old boy sustained serious injuries when an inflatable zorb ball he was in was unexpectedly raised into the air and landed on the grass. The incident occurred at the Southport Food and Drink Festival in Victoria Park, Rotten Row, Southport, Merseyside at 2pm. The boy was airlifted to the hospital and is currently in a stable condition.
The cause of the incident is currently under investigation, but there have been reports that the zorb ball was blown by a gust of wind. A second zorb ball was also raised at the same time, but the child inside was unharmed. The event at Victoria Park included inflatables, water walkers, and slides for children.
A video has surfaced of a mini-tornado outside Victoria Park at the time of the incident. Witnesses have described the weather phenomenon as a 'dust devil' and some have commented that the boy was catapulted 20 feet in the air. Paul Holmes, who was present at the time, rushed to help the boy. He said, “In my peripheral vision I saw two of the zorb balls go up into the sky and I just screamed at the top of my voice 'there's a kid in one of those balls someone catch him.' The minute I shouted 'there's a boy in the sky' the staff at the inflatable place were quick to get all of the kids out of the remaining balls in the pit.”
Merseyside Police have asked for anyone who may have captured images or videos of the incident to please get in touch to help them establish the circumstances of what happened. The nine-year-old boy remains in hospital in a stable condition.
These types of accidents are rare and can be prevented with proper safety precautions. It is important for parents to be aware of the potential dangers of inflatables and to ensure their children are supervised at all times. It is also important to be aware of the weather conditions and to take necessary precautions if a sudden gust of wind is detected.