The toddler and his big sister were playing on the inflatable when 59-mph winds sent it flying.
A Nebraska toddler died from severe head trauma after a bouncy pad he was playing on was ripped away by 59-mph winds, authorities said Friday.
Caleb Acuna, 2, and his big sister were jumping on the pad at JK's Pumpkin Patch just north of Lincoln, the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office. Massive winds tore the inflatable from its tethers and tossed it 30 feet, then blew it more than 100 feet into a soybean field.
Five-year-old Arra, suffered a broken arm when she immediately fell from the toy. But Caleb, who was caught inside the pad when it folded double, slammed into the field on Wednesday evening. He was removed from life support on Thursday.
“It’s certainly a tragic situation,” said Lancaster County Sheriff’s Capt. Tom Brookhouser. “The sheriff’s office has never worked an incident like this in the 28 years I’ve been here.”
The pad is similar to a bouncy house, but it has no walls. The children's parents had just climbed from pumpkin-colored inflatable when it was swept away. A bounce house in the same area was also blown away, authorities said.
A wind advisory had been issued that day, warning of possible gusts up to 60 mph.
On their Facebook site, the owners of JK's Pumpkin Patch posted "we have been advised by our attorney not to take any questions."
But they added, "Our thoughts, prayers and deepest condolences and sympathies are with the family at this time. It's been an extremely emotional situation for me and my family as well as the family of the little boy. We are continuing to lift the family up in prayer."
RELATED STORIES
