CASA GRANDE, AZ – In a heartbreaking incident in southwestern Arizona, a 2-year-old boy succumbed to injuries after the bounce house he was playing in was lifted by a strong gust of wind. Several children were present inside the inflatable structure when the incident occurred on Saturday afternoon, causing the bounce house to be carried over to a nearby lot, a spokesperson for the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.
The authorities described the mishap in Casa Grande, located about an hour from Phoenix, as a “tragic accident” while extending condolences to the aggrieved family. The young boy sustained injuries after being caught in the airborne bounce house, which led to his eventual demise in a hospital. Another child involved in the incident was also taken to the hospital with injuries, which were thankfully not life-threatening.
In the wake of this unfortunate incident, a GoFundMe campaign was initiated, identifying the deceased toddler as Bodhi, son of Karl and Christy, who are expecting their second child by the end of May. Ashley Al-Khouri, who organized the campaign, revealed that Bodhi’s father, Karl, is a firefighter and a workmate of her husband at Phoenix Fire Station 40.
Phoenix Firehouse 25, on their Instagram handle, shared the fundraiser link and recognized the integral part the couple played in their community over many years. The Instagram post also mentioned the family’s impending arrival next month and the unimaginable pain the family has endured over the past two days.
A 2022 report published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society puts particular emphasis on wind being a significant safety hazard for inflatable bounce houses. The research, which analyzed 132 wind-related bounce house incidents from 2000 to 2021, found that these incidents caused at least 479 injuries and 28 deaths.