Bouncy Castle Tragedy: Operator Cleared of Charges Following Heartbreaking Accident

Rosemary Anne Gamble, operator of Taz-Zorb, has been found not guilty of breaching safety laws linked to the tragic bouncy castle incident in Devonport, Tasmania, where six children lost their lives due to an unforeseen weather event. The verdict has left victims’ families in despair, while the defense emphasized the unpredictability of the dust devil responsible for the tragedy.

An Australian bouncy castle operator has been acquitted of breaching safety regulations following a devastating incident in 2021 that resulted in the deaths of six children, with three others injured. A court ruled that Rosemary Anne Gamble, the owner of Taz-Zorb, was not liable, attributing the tragedy to an "unprecedented weather system" that was deemed "impossible to predict."

The tragic event occurred during a primary school fun day in Devonport, Tasmania, when the bouncy castle was lifted approximately 10 meters (33 feet) into the air due to strong winds. The incident unfolded when six young children aged between 11 and 12 were participating in the fair at Hillcrest Primary School. Five of the children were playing inside the inflatable when the wind swept it away, while the sixth child, who was lined up waiting to play, was fatally injured after being struck by the inflatable blower.

The verdict delivered on Friday has elicited profound sorrow among the families of the victims, some of whom expressed their heartache in the courtroom. Prosecutors had previously claimed that Gamble had failed to secure the bouncy castle adequately; however, her defense argued that the unexpected nature of the dust devil made it impossible for her to mitigate the hazards effectively. Magistrate Robert Webster ultimately sided with the defense, stating that even had Gamble taken additional precautions, it would not have altered the tragic outcome.

The six children who died in the tragedy were identified as Addison Stewart, Zane Mellor, Jye Sheehan, Jalailah Jayne-Maree Jones, Peter Dodt, and Chace Harrison. The incident struck the community of Devonport, which has a population of around 30,000, particularly hard. The charges against Gamble were brought nearly two years post-incident, in November 2023.

Andrew Dodt, father of one of the deceased children, expressed his anguish following the court's ruling, lamenting a lack of closure or apology for his loss. “Our hopes are just shattered now,” he said in a statement. “All I wanted was an apology for my son not coming home, and I'm never going to get it.”

In response to the verdict, Gamble’s attorney acknowledged the deep emotional scars borne by the families affected. “I can only imagine the pain that other parents are living with each and every day because of this terrible thing that happened,” she remarked, quoting her client. “Their loss is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life.”