Child died after apparently being thrown from inflatable at Gorleston beach, police say

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

A girl has died after apparently being thrown from an inflatable trampoline on a beach, Norfolk police have said.

The incident occurred at about 11am on Sunday at Gorleston beach. Members of the public and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution rushed to help the girl, who suffered serious injuries and was in cardiac arrest, East of England ambulance service (EEAST) said. She was taken to the James Paget hospital but died from her injuries.

An EEAST spokeswoman said it received more than a dozen calls about the incident.

“Several of our teams were dispatched, with the first on scene in four minutes. The young female was seriously injured and in cardiac arrest on our arrival, and was conveyed to James Paget hospital.

“Sadly, despite all of the efforts and interventions, she was pronounced deceased.



“We would like to thank everyone who rushed to respond to the young patient, and did everything possible to give her treatment and care. Our thoughts are with the family at this time.”

Police said next of kin had been informed and were being supported by specialist officers.

A woman who said she witnessed the incident wrote on Facebook that the victim was a four-year-old girl.

Kara Longshaw said: “Just seen the most horrific thing in my life. A bouncy castle exploded at the beach and the child on it was catapulted about 20ft into the air. Please do not allow your children on a bouncy castle in this heat.”

She said she was heartbroken to hear the girl had died.

Images of the scene showed an area of the beach, with what appeared to be crumpled canvas and abandoned deck chairs, cordoned off by police. Uniformed officers stood beside the fenced-off area, but beyond the cordon visitors to the beach continued to bask in the sun.

Police said they had launched a joint investigation with the Health and Safety Executive and local authority to establish the circumstances of the incident.

Brandon Lewis, Conservative MP for Great Yarmouth, tweeted: “Absolutely tragic, thoughts are with family & friends, just so sad.”

In May, two fairground workers were found guilty of the manslaughter by gross negligence of seven-year-old Summer Grant, from Norwich. She died after a bouncy castle blew away with her inside it in Harlow, Essex, in March 2016.

In 2006, two women, Elizabeth Anne Collings, 68, and Claire Furmedge, 38, died and 27 people were injured when an inflatable artwork blew away in Chester-le-Street, County Durham. An inquest jury in May 2010 ruled that the deaths were accidental.

• This article was amended on 3 July 2018. The original incorrectly stated that the incident involved a bouncy castle, rather than an inflatable trampoline. This has been corrected.