‘She went up so high, it was higher than my house’: Funfair worker tried to catch girl after inflatable trampoline exploded

Inquest hears evidence about three-year-old’s death in July 2018

Ava-May Littleboy died of a head injury after being thrown from an inflatable trampoline at a beach in Gorleston, Norfolk (Norfolk Constabulary/PA)

A funfair worker attempted to a catch a little girl after the inflatable trampoline she was on burst and she was thrown around 20 feet into the air, an inquest has heard.

Ava-May Littleboy was killed after the trampoline exploded on the beach at Gorleston-on-Sea in Norfolk on 1 July 2018.

The hearing in Norwich was told that the three-year-old landed on her face and later died in hospital.

Ava-May was at the beach with her extended family when her aunt, Abbie Littleboy, and her aunt’s friend, Beth Jones, brought her over to the inflatable.

Ms Jones, a nurse, told the hearing that she remembered hearing a loud bang before seeing Ava-May in mid-air.

“She went up so high, it was higher than my house, about 20ft,” said Ms Jones.

“There was a massive thud and Ava came down on her face and tummy.

“I wasn’t close enough to catch her.”

She said she shouted “catch her” and a funfair worker “had her arms fully out”, but the attempt to catch her did not succeed because it all happened so quickly.

Abbie Littleboy, the girl’s aunt, said the inflatable trampoline appeared “stiff”, adding that she assumed this was usually the case.

Ms Littleboy described the noise of the explosion as being “like someone had set off a cannon”.

She added that the other child on the inflatable trampoline “skimmed across the sand but was okay”.

In a statement read by the coroner, Ava May’s mother, Chloe Littleboy, said she stood there “shaking and screaming” and “unable to do anything” after the incident.

Nathan Rowe, the girl’s father, said in a statement also read out by the coroner: “My heart is scattered all over that beach. I will never go back there as long as I live.”

The nine-day inquest, which is sitting with a jury, continues and will hear evidence including the working practices of Johnson Funfairs and the risk assessments that were carried out.

Jacqueline Lake, Norfolk’s senior coroner, said: “The evidence will not include the reason why the inflatable trampoline exploded.”

The inquest continues.

Additional reporting from PA