Firefighters: 10-year-old critically injured in microburst bounce house mishap in Sandy
Aug 9, 2024, 10:40 PM
SANDY — Firefighters said two boys were seriously hurt Friday after microburst winds hit a summer camp outside a rec center, lifting a bounce house into the air.
Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation spokesperson Liz Sollis said it was the final day of summer camp at the Dimple Dell Recreation Center, and workers had set up a bounce house and water slide outside.
At approximately 3:00 p.m., Sollis said winds kicked up, leading staff to begin removing children from the bounce house, which had been secured to the ground.
Sollis said one child did not get out before the wind carried the house.
Brian Jones was roughly a block away when he heard children screaming. He looked to the north to see the bounce house rise between two trees.
“That has to be 20, 30 feet out of the air,” Jones said. “I’m thinking there are kids over there; they’re screaming, and the wind comes, and this bounce house is flying—this is trouble.”
He said he rushed over to the rec center to see if he could help.
“One girl is trying to console another girl who is in tears,” he recalled. “There was one little kid that was in bad shape. I went over to help him, and it was hard.”
Workers deflating bounce house that was carried away by the wind in Sandy on Aug 9, 2024. (Mark Less, KSL TV)
Sollis said one child was trapped, and staff got him out. Sandy firefighters said a 10-year-old boy was critically injured and was rushed by ambulance to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City.
“(First responders) came and stabilized him and took him off,” Jones said. “Praying for the best for him, man.”
A 6-year-old who suffered a leg injury and was transported to Primary Children’s Hospital-Lehi, Sandy City Fire Battalion Chief Michael Bullock said.
“We’re super concerned and want to make sure nobody gets hurt when they’re at our program,” Sollis said.
Jones said he wasn’t sure what else could have been done about the microburst winds, which essentially arrived out of nowhere.
“It was just like that,” Jones said. “They can come unexpectedly and without warning, and (they’re) just strong, strong winds.”
Bullock said that other children were hurt in this accident, but they only sustained minor injuries and went home with their parents.
