HICKORY, N.C. — Video from a doorbell cam in Hickory shows the frantic moments that parents scrambled to find their children after strong winds lifted a bouncy house in their yard into the air.
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Fortunately, no children were inside the inflatable fun zone.
Channel 9 reporter Dave Faherty spoke with the family who was throwing a birthday party when heavy winds blew in.
The airport recorded gusts as high as 40 mph on Saturday.
Jesse and Jennifer Beane showed Faherty video of the bouncy house that was set up for a birthday party for their two-year-old child.
The children at the party had their cake and ice cream and were planning to get back inside the bouncy house when a gust of wind lifted it off the ground.
After cake and ice cream, the children planned on using it once more when a huge gust lifted it right off the ground.
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The inflatable house lifted two stories, swirling into the air before returning to the ground.
“In the moment, you’re in full-on dad mode where, ‘Alright, something is wrong. We’ve got to try to fix it,’” parent Jesse Beane said. “And then afterwards, it’s, like, ‘Thank God.’”
“It was like nerves times 10, because I did not realize my five-year-old was as close to it as he was,” parent Jennifer Beane said.
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The parents said the company that set up the bouncy house used four stakes in the backyard and warned the family if winds climbed above 10 mph, to not use it.
The day started with clear skies and light winds, so the couple thought it was safe.
They did not realize the weather would later drastically change.
They are thankful no one was hurt and have a warning for other parents.
To stay on top of changing weather conditions be sure to download our free WSOC-TV Weather app.
“You think to look and make sure it’s not going to rain, so it doesn’t affect the bouncy house from coming, but at the same time, just pay attention to the wind,” Jennifer Beane said. “Because even though we thought we were going to be OK, in a blink of an eye, it could have done some damage.”
(Watch the video below: Wind gust lifts bouncy castle killing five children)
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