Toddlers hurt after wind lifts bounce house into air

NASHUA, N.H. -- In New Hampshire, two young toddler brothers have been hospitalized after a terrifying weekend ordeal. They were in an inflatable toy house when a powerful gust of wind suddenly sent them into the air.

It's a high-flying horror that's becoming far too common -- a bounce house with children inside taking flight. Now it's happened again; this time, at what should have been a fun fall festival at a New Hampshire farm.

The two toddlers were injured, one critically, after a strong wind lifted the inflatable house they were playing in as high as 30 feet. Then it traveled about 50 feet before crashing down into an orchard.

"It just kind of flipped and came straight down," one witness said.

A 2-year-old boy was airlifted to a Boston hospital. His 3-year-old brother was also hospitalized.

The bounce house owner says it wasn't secured to the ground because it wasn't ready to be used.

"It was in a restricted area," owner Gary Bergeron said. "It wasn't open. It wasn't open to the public."

But Brian, the father of one of the injured boys, says there was no sign that the bounc house was not open.

"There was no indication that it was closed," he said. "And again, like I said, I asked how much was it and they said it was free."

This is just the latest accident. Earlier this month, surveillance video in China captured a bounce house flipping over, injuring 14. In July, a dust devil in Nevada launched an inflatable slide 300 feet, injuring two.

Experts say these popular children's attractions must always be supervised and always securely staked to the ground.

To check out tips on how to prevent bounce house injuries, click here.