Children were enjoying a bouncy castle at a church festival in Montreal, then a “huge gust” of wind claimed a toddler’s life and left 10 injured

A church festival for the Mission of Madere Dei Cristiani at Ouellette Park in Montreal, Canada, was supposed to be a celebration, but, as reported by People, it turned into chaos due to strong winds. Per the Montreal Gazette, the CBC, and CTV News, it appears these dangerous winds hit the festival during a series of storms. As a result, a bouncy castle, on which children were seemingly enjoying, was blown away, claiming the life of a 3-year-old girl and injuring 10.

According to CTV News, Urgences-Santé, a public emergency medical ambulance service, then arrived at the scene following a 911 call. 11 people were reportedly found injured due to this incident, including 2 children and 4 adults. But per the Montreal Gazette, 6 of 11 apparently had serious injuries, enough to take them to the hospital.

One of the attendees, Rosella Peluzzo, described the scene to the outlet, saying, “A lot of wind came towards here, chairs started flying, tables started flying. I see the inflated house, and it went up high, at least 40 feet, I would say. It was just turning up in the air. They were hurt, and I know that they were all sent to the Children’s Hospital.” While Rosella claimed at least 40 feet, a borough worker also claimed that the castle rose 12 feet into the air with children inside, then came back to the ground.

The 3-year-old girl was reportedly in a critical condition, and later, she couldn’t survive

Following the incident, it appears that the girl who was also in the bouncy castle with others had serious injuries and was in a critical condition. Two days later, unfortunately, the 3-year-old girl lost her life. The Quebec Coroner’s Office confirmed her passing, and according to CTV News, they also spoke about the investigation into the scene.

“Coroner Martine Lachance has been appointed to conduct an investigation to shed light on the causes and circumstances surrounding the death. Upon completion of her investigation, if she deems it appropriate, the coroner may also issue recommendations. These are preventive measures aimed at protecting human life and preventing deaths in similar circumstances.” This suggests that after the investigation, safety measures will be taken for the future.

Returning to the attendees, they gave further details about the scene. Eric Chicas, one of them, described the weather and claimed that a big cloud appeared after the rain, when everyone was enjoying themselves. Then, “in an instant there was a huge gust” of wind, which then reportedly blew away the bouncy couch.

These seem to be enough details for this incident, as I think further details might be revealed to us after the investigation is done.