A three-year-old child remains in critical condition after a bouncy castle was lifted into the air by strong winds during a community event in Montreal’s LaSalle borough on Sunday.
Emergency crews were called to Ouellette Park shortly after 4:30 p.m. after witnesses reported the inflatable structure had been swept up by gusts with children inside.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene as the bouncy castle rose dozens of feet into the air before being thrown back to the ground.
“The bouncing castle flew up in the air — at least 30 to 40 feet high — and then it was circulating before it was thrown to one side,” one witness said.
Get daily National news
Get daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you’ll never miss the day’s top stories.
Urgences-santé said 11 people were injured. Six were transported to hospital, including two children. The three-year-old remains in critical condition.
Another witness said a parent flagged down a police cruiser to get help for an injured child, who was then rushed to hospital.
The incident occurred during a community celebration organized by the Madre dei Cristiani church.
Environment Canada reported wind gusts 50 kilometres per hour in the area at the time.
“It doesn’t happen often that we have multiple critical patients, especially children,” said Urgences-santé spokesperson Valérie Guertin.
City crews were at the park Monday clearing debris as officials worked to determine what led to the incident.
The LaSalle borough said it plans to meet with those involved to better understand the circumstances and assess whether additional safety measures are needed.
Witnesses said the incident unfolded within minutes, leaving little time to react.
“It was very disturbing. It was a shock,” one said. “We were trying to help the injured — it was chaos, like something you see in the movies.”
Authorities say the investigation is ongoing as the community awaits answers and hopes for the child’s recovery.