
Two young boys were seriously injured Monday in upstate New York when an inflatable “bounce house” they were playing in was launched fifty feet into the air by a strong gust of wind.
Three children were inside the bounce house when it flew into the air, and two boys aged 5 and 6 were seriously injured after falling onto asphalt nearby from a height of 15 feet, The Post-Star of Glenn Falls, N.Y. reports. A 10-year-old girl who was inside suffered minor scrapes.
Police said the house blew more than 50 feet into the air.
Numerous accidents involving bounce houses have occurred in recent years as they have increased in popularity. Jim Barber, a spokesman for the National Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officials, said in 2011 the inflatable playthings were “probably the most dangerous amusement devices” commonly available.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Introducing the 2025 Closers
- Colman Domingo Leads With Radical Love
- Trump and Musk Have All of Washington on Edge
- Why, Exactly, Is Alcohol So Bad for You?
- The Motivational Trick That Makes You Exercise Harder
- 11 New Books to Read in February
- How to Get Better at Doing Things Alone
- Column: Trump’s Trans Military Ban Betrays Our Troops
Contact us at letters@time.com