Child dies after inflatable castle tossed into air in Montreal park

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

Updated 12:28 PM CDT, June 3, 2026

MONTREAL (AP) — A 3-year-old girl died from injuries she sustained when strong winds tossed an inflatable castle into the air during a party at a Montreal park last weekend.

Eleven people were injured with six of them sent to hospital when a bouncy castle and a tent were tossed by high winds on May 31 at Parc Ouellet in LaSalle, a borough in southwest Montreal, emergency medical services said.

The government agency Environment Canada said wind speeds were up to 50 km per hour (31 miles per hour) on Sunday afternoon during a party held by a church.

Coroner Martine Lachance has been assigned to investigate the causes and circumstances surrounding the death.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/canada-bouncy-castle-girl-death-inflatable-c77915cffce8d50d717510392a2fa3b4

[Ilsa]

1. I thought those things had to be anchored down.

I feel bad for that family.

[maxsolomon]

2. There's anchoring down and there's anchoring down.

In high winds, no one should be inside an inflatable. It should have been deflated.

[niyad]

3. How very tragic for the families of the victims. Several questions, though.

Canada seems to have some decent regulations in place about inflatables, and the owner of one company said she neither rents nor operates her inflatables, when the wind forecast is far below what occurred with this situation. Wha was the forecast for that day? And, an observation. Yet again, children died at a church "fun" function. Like the children at that church camp in Texas, and other tragic acidents. One does wonder why.

[thesquanderer]

4. I hope it's not because they think God will protect them. Thoughts and prayers? n/t

[u4ic]

5. Given it's Quebec, they'd most likely be Catholic

not the loony Xtians in the US.

[u4ic]

6. So very tragic, and I have questions as well

I used to work at events - I never had anything to do with bouncy castles, but if there was any wind strength, they would either not be put up at all, or be closed down if it started to even mildly gust, beyond 30 km/hr sounds about right. I'm not sure if someone just wasn't on the ball with this one, or it was a freak wind that came out of nowhere.