SIX CHILDREN LOST THEIR LIVES AFTER A SUDDEN DUST DEVIL SENT A BOUNCY CASTLE FLYING — NOW, A TEACHER RECALLS THE HORRIFYING MOMENTS

What was supposed to be a joyful end-of-year celebration at an Australian primary school became one of the country’s most heartbreaking tragedies when a sudden whirlwind lifted a bouncy castle into the air, sending children falling to the ground.

Now, a teacher who witnessed the devastating incident has shared his emotional memories during an ongoing coronial inquest, describing how quickly an ordinary school afternoon turned into a nightmare.

The tᩚraɢedy happened on December 16, 2021, at Hillcrest Primary School in Devonport, Tasmania, as pupils gathered on the school oval to celebrate the final day of the academic year.

Six children lost their lives, while several others were injured.

The victims were Addison Stewart, Chace Harrison, Jye Sheehan, Jalailah Jayne-Maree Jones, Peter Dodt and Zane Mellor. They were all between 11 and 12 years old.

‘IT WENT FROM ONE TO 1,000 IN A SPLIT SECOND’

Stephen Fenn, a teacher who had worked at Hillcrest Primary School since 2000, told the inquest that the weather changed with extraordinary speed.

He recalled noticing a swirling movement of wind approaching across the school oval. It gathered dust and grass clippings as it moved closer to the children.

What happened next was something he said he would never forget.

Fenn described the wind as intensifying dramatically in a matter of moments.

“It went from one to 1,000 in a split second,” he told the inquest, adding that the force felt far stronger than 100 kilometres per hour.

He said he heard a loud “whoosh” before seeing the inflatable structure being lifted into the air.

The bouncy castle reportedly rose to approximately the height of a telephone pole before coming down on the other side of the field.

In just seconds, the celebration had turned into chaos.

THE HEARTBREAKING SCENE AFTER THE BOUNCY CASTLE CAME DOWN

As soon as the structure landed, Fenn rushed towards the children to help.

He recalled reaching Jye and seeing other pupils lying on the ground.

The teacher later went to hospital, where he was asked to identify the children.

One particularly painful memory involved six-year-old Addison Stewart. Fenn told the inquest that he had not realised she had passed away before seeing her at the hospital.

He described the experience as deeply confronting.

For a teacher who had spent years caring for children at the school, the reality of seeing his pupils caught up in such a devastating incident was almost impossible to comprehend.

His testimony offered a glimpse into the emotional toll carried by those who witnessed the tᩚraɢedy firsthand.

A TEACHER WHO COULD NO LONGER RETURN TO THE CLASSROOM

Fenn had been part of the Hillcrest Primary School community for more than two decades.

But the events of December 16, 2021, changed his life.

During the inquest, he explained that he struggled to return to teaching with the same care and love after what had happened.

The experience affected his mєntal health, and he later developed depression.

He eventually retired earlier than he had originally planned.

His account highlighted an often-overlooked consequence of disasters: the lasting psychological impact on teachers, emergency responders and other people who are left to carry memories of what they witnessed.

For Fenn, the school oval was no longer simply a place where children gathered to play and celebrate.

It had become the setting of a day that would remain with him for the rest of his life.

INQUEST EXAMINES HOW THE BOUNCY CASTLE WAS SECURED

The coronial inquest is examining the circumstances surrounding the incident, including how the inflatable equipment was installed and what safety measures were in place.

Evidence presented during the hearing also raised questions about the training and experience of the workers responsible for the equipment.

Jesse Barrett, an employee of Taz-Zorb, the company that supplied and operated the inflatable attractions, told the inquest that he had not received an instruction manual or formal training.

He described his experience as largely “on-the-job” training.

The hearing also examined how the bouncy castle had been anchored to the ground.

Barrett said four pegs had been used, despite the inflatable having eight tether points. He explained that the number of pegs used could depend on ground conditions and the weather.

The operator of Taz-Zorb, Rosemary Gamble, was previously found not guilty in June 2025 of criminal workplace safety charges connected to the incident.

The inquest is examining the broader circumstances of the tᩚraɢedy and the safety arrangements surrounding inflatable equipment.

FOUR YEARS ON, THE MEMORIES HAVE NOT FADED

The Hillcrest Primary School tᩚraɢedy shocked Australia and left six families facing an unimaginable loss.

For the children, December 16 was supposed to be a day of laughter, games and celebration before the school holidays.

Instead, a sudden and powerful natural phenomenon changed everything.

The ongoing inquest is providing an opportunity to examine what happened, hear from those who were present and consider whether improvements to safety procedures could help prevent similar incidents in the future.

But for the families who lost their children, and for the teacher who witnessed the horrifying aftermath, no investigation can undo what happened that day.

A school celebration that should have ended with happy memories became a tᩚraɢedy that an entire community will never forget.