A family festival took a terrifying turn when a nine-year-old boy suffered serious injuries after being catapulted into the air inside a zorb ball.
The incident took place during the Southport Food and Drink Festival in Merseyside, UK on Sunday, June 4. As per eyewitness accounts, an unexpected wind gust lifted the inflatable ball, carrying the boy aloft above the trees before it came crashing down nearby. Fortunately, bystanders promptly rushed to the child’s assistance, and St John Ambulance personnel provided immediate first aid.
Merseyside Police arrived promptly at the scene, confirming that the injuries sustained by the boy were not life-threatening. An air ambulance was summoned, and the child was airlifted to a hospital. One observer recounted how the Zorb ball, launched from a water pool, landed on a wheeled garbage bin, leading to the ball bursting and the boy falling to the ground.
In response to the incident, a comprehensive health and safety evaluation was carried out at the Southport venue.
This recent occurrence brings to mind a 2016 tragedy when a seven-year-old girl died after the bouncy castle she was in was swept away during an Easter fair in Harlow, Essex, UK. Two fairground employees were subsequently found guilty of gross negligence manslaughter due to inadequate securing of the bouncy castle.
The activity of zorbing, which involves rolling inside these balls, has its inherent hazards. In 2013, a man perished when a zorb ball strayed off a designated path on an unfenced snowy slope at a Russian ski resort, finally coming to rest on a frozen lake.
Despite this unfortunate incident, the Southport Food and Drink Festival remained operational. Authorities are currently undertaking efforts to ascertain the exact circumstances surrounding the incident to prevent similar occurrences in the future.