Summer Grant will never again live to see her next namesake season.
On March 26, the 7-year-old was spending time with her family at the Easter fair at the Harlow Town Park in Essex, when strong winds facilitated the detachment of the inflatable bouncy castle in which she was playing. The castle traveled 150 meters and over several trailers before coming to rest in a field. The girl was rushed to a nearby hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.
The parents of the victim, Cara Blackie and Lee Grant, were too distraught to talk to the media, and have asked for privacy during this difficult time. Flowers and sympathy are pouring in at the park’s entrance, and the fair has been closed the day after the incident.
Two suspects who have not been named, a 24-year-old woman and a 27-year-old man, were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter by gross negligence. The couple were part of a firm that had considerable experience in the installment of inflatable structures.
Dectective Inspector Daniel Stoten said that the weather could be a deciding factor in the investigation.
“It will be a complex and thorough investigation – I do not anticipate this to be a quick inquiry, it will be a lengthy investigation. We will be speaking to scientists in relation to the weight of the ride, the type of weather, the ground underfoot, the moisture content and how the ride was tethered.”
In 2015, a similar incident involving a bouncy castle took place in the same park, leaving three children injured.
