NIGHTMARE ON DREAMSPACE: MUMS, DADS, KIDS PLUNGE TO EARTH
HORRIFIED witnesses told last night how they watched helplessly as parents and children plummeted to the ground after a huge bouncy castle was sent rocketing 120ft into the air.The 160ft square inflatable called Dreamspace soared over the tops of trees before somersaulting and crashing back to earth, killing two women and injuring at least a dozen others.
Dave Vogwill was enjoying an afternoon in the park with his wife and two children when Dreamspace broke its moorings. He said: "It didn't seem to be windy but suddenly it just flew up into the air then flipped over. It was horrific to see. There were people lying everywhere all over the place. It was carnage. Some had been on the inflatable when it took off, others were hit on the ground." Dave, 45, ran to help one young girl who he saw crash on to a tarmac path. He said: "She was in a very bad way. There wasn't a lot I could do. She was a very young girl who just fell out of the air and hit the tarmac with a thud and then bounced on to the grass."
Others told how they tried in vain to hold the inflatable down as it began to lift off the ground. Richard Gordon, 22, said: "I was standing just a few feet away when I heard a snapping sound as the holding pegs were ripped out of the ground. I could hear people inside screaming as it flipped on to its side, flew into the air and started gaining speed. At least three industrial-type hot air blowers were pumping air into it when it took off but I think a gust of wind must have got under it. There were at least 25 people, adults and children, inside as it took off."
Mr Gordon said he and about 40 other men attempted to keep Dreamspace on the floor at the Riverside Park in Chester-le-Street, Co Durham. He added: "We tried to hold on to it. But it was going with such force it just dragged us along. We couldn't stop it. It smashed into a pole in the middle of the park, then broke loose and hit the ground. I could see people were trapped inside. Loads of people ran towards it and tried to get the trapped out by ripping the material open. They were using car keys and even their bare hands."
Claire Fairnington, 22, said: "I heard the screaming and realised something really bad was happening. It was a terrible sight. You could hear the people screaming as it was in the air. The screams went on for about 15 minutes after it crashed back to the ground. I saw someone drag a man in his 30s out. He must have been knocked unconscious because he was just coming round."
Last night it was reported that two women, one 68, the other 38, had died in the accident. Both had been on the inflatable with children. A girl of three, who was airlifted from the park to hospital, and a 23-year-old woman were in intensive care with serious injuries. Six ambulances took the other injured to hospital. It is believed they included a 35-year-old man who suffered a suspected heart attack.
Riverside Park had been packed yesterday by families out enjoying the sunshine. The paddling pool and children's playground was filled with youngsters. Many of the estimated 500 visitors had come especially to see Dreamspace, a 15ft high multi-coloured interactive artwork which has a series of interconnecting rooms that visitors can explore. Built by Danish artist Maurice Agis and funded by the Arts Council, the PVC inflatable arrived at the park last week from Liverpool. It was also due to visit London.
Firemen say the inflatable would have flown even further had it not snagged on a pole that holds a CCTV camera and come to rest close to the River Wear. Fire brigade spokesman John Robson said: "When we arrived it was chaos. There were parents looking for children, children looking for parents. We had to extricate a number of people from the structure. A number of people had fallen on top of each other. It all seems to have happened in seconds. It went vertically up and then the wind caught it and it bounced over the top of some trees and towards the children's playground, which is by the river. Thankfully it landed a few metres away from the playground or things could have been much worse. It's a huge structure and it must have travelled at least 50 metres before landing."
The remains of the giant inflatable were last night strewn across the park. The red, yellow, and blue polythene was shredded and scattered over a wide area. A large section was cordoned off as police examined the scene. The park was closed to the public. One woman standing outside said her 23-year-old daughter was among those injured and had suffered a punctured lung, broken ribs and internal bleeding
Fighting back tears, she said: "She's in intensive care on a ventilator. I'm dashing to the hospital. It was just a day out enjoying the weather and it's gone so badly wrong."
To watch a video clip of this, click HERE
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Pretty shocking for sure ...
