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Tasmania inquest examines pegging and safety before fatal castle accident
An inquest in Tasmania has resumed into the deaths of six children aged 11 and 12, killed when a gust lifted a jumping castle at Hillcrest Primary School in December 2021. A teacher described the wind rising suddenly and the inflatable being carried across the oval; the hearing is examining how the tragedy happened and whether safety rules were adequate.
The inquest heard that only four pegs were used across the castle’s eight tether points, and a worker who helped set it up said he had not been shown an instruction manual. The operator said she downloaded a manual from the supplier’s website, and that the number of pegs used could depend on ground conditions and wind. She was found not guilty of criminal workplace safety breaches in 2025; counsel assisting the coroner said national standards lacked legal force.
In short
- Six children died when wind lifted a jumping castle in 2021.
- An inquest heard only four of eight tether points were pegged down.
- The hearing is examining safety practices and national standards.
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Daily Mail as “Teacher reveals terrifying seconds before jumping castle tragedy killed six children in Australia – as inquest hears only four of eight tether points were pegged down”.