Hillcrest Primary jumping castle inquest resumes with evidence of insufficient
An inquest resumes Tuesday. It looks into six Hillcrest students' deaths from a 2021 jumping castle accident. Evidence shows poor anchoring.
The inquest will resume Tuesday. A police detective and equipment operator will give evidence.
The inquest looks at the deaths of Addison Stewart, Chace Harrison, Jye Sheehan, Jalailah Jayne-Maree Jones, Peter Dodt and Zane Mellor. The students were enjoying end-of-year celebrations at Hillcrest Primary School in 2021.
A dust devil wind gust lifted the jumping castle and other inflatables into the air. A forensic investigator said the castle was not tied down enough.
Only four of eight anchor points were pegged. A barrier balloon had pegs in only six of 32 points.
Taz-Zorb was the company that set up the equipment. It was found not guilty of criminal workplace safety breaches in 2025.
The inquest is looking at the causes of death, safety rules and national regulations. The inquest will reinflate the jumping castle for tests.
Why it mattersThe inquest looks at the causes of death and safety rules. It investigates this major tragedy.
AustraliaSchools and event organisers across Australia face potential new safety requirements for inflatable equipment used at gatherings, depending on the inquest's findings.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
