A three-year-old girl, Felicity Keepin from Gloucestershire, tragically lost her life when a mini-tornado swept a trampoline she was playing on into the air, throwing her a considerable distance. The devastating incident occurred on May 10 in the village of Longney near Stroud, while Felicity was with her mother and brother.
Eyewitness and neighbor Adam Nash recounted hearing a noise “like a freight train” as he trimmed a grass hedge nearby. He described witnessing a “mini tornado,” about seven to eight feet wide, crossing the road and leaving visible damage in the hedge. This sudden gust lifted the 12-foot trampoline, which was not anchored, over a hedge into an adjacent field.
Although the trampoline was equipped with a safety net and had been purchased just a week earlier, it had not been secured to the ground. Felicity was airlifted to Bristol Children’s Hospital but sadly passed away a week later on May 17.
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Coroner Roland Wooderson expressed that this was “every parent’s worst nightmare” and recorded the death as accidental. He issued a strong warning about the potential dangers of trampolines and stressed the importance of anchoring them securely, noting that many people remain unaware of this critical safety measure. However, the coroner also acknowledged that anchoring may not have altered the outcome given the extraordinary strength of the wind gust.
Wooderson emphasized, “Completely out of the blue, a freak gust of wind took the trampoline high into the air and over the hedge. I do not use the term ‘freak gust’ lightly.” He recognized that while Felicity was under careful supervision, this was an unforeseen and tragic accident. The incident serves as a harsh reminder for the public to remain vigilant about trampoline safety.