Montreal toddler dies from injuries after winds tossed bouncy castle into the air

Ava Ciampini, left, enjoys and ice cream with her parents, Luca and Arielle. The Montreal three-year-old died from injuries suffered when the bouncy castle she was playing in was sent airborne by fierce winds on Sunday. Photo by GoFundMe

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The Montreal toddler who was critically injured when the bouncy castle she was playing in was hurled into the air by fierce winds on Sunday afternoon has died, the Quebec coroner’s office announced Tuesday.

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The three-year-old was identified as Ava Ciampini in a GoFundMe created to support her parents, Luca and Arielle, with expenses related to their daughter’s funeral and memorial.

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“She was the light of every room she walked into, and the hole she leaves behind is impossible to put into words,” wrote Stefano Giliati, who operates a youth hockey training program with the grieving father.

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“Luca and Arielle are now facing the unimaginable while also caring for their baby boy, Milan. In the middle of this grief, the last thing this family should have to think about is the financial burden that comes with saying goodbye to their little girl.”

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The tragedy occurred at Ouellette Park in the borough of LaSalle where the family’s parish, Madre Dei Cristiani church, was celebrating the Feast of the Madonna, or the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

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As a series of thunderstorms passed over the region, it whipped up winds and a sudden, violent gust sent chairs and debris flying, toppled vendors’ tents and knocked people down, according to the Montreal Gazette. Also sent airborne was the inflatable structure.

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“I saw a huge cube flying into the air, at least 40 feet up, about as high as the nearby buildings,” attendee Eric Chicas told the paper. “I remember thinking and hoping nobody was inside.”

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It’s not clear how many children were in the inflatable at the time.

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The deflated bouncy castle in Ouellette Park, where three-year-old Ava Ciampini was fatally injured when it was lifted into the air by high winds. Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette

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Montreal police officers already on hand were able to offer immediate assistance and emergency responders were quick to arrive, with five ambulances and an advanced life support unit deployed to the scene, according to CityNews.

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Urgences-Santé head of operations Valérie Guertin said paramedics assessed 11 people on site, six of whom were taken to hospital — four adults and two children, one of whom was Ciampini.

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Samuel Leon, who lives across the street from the park, told CityNews he saw a woman running towards a car with a little girl in her arms.

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“She was out, she was limp,” he recounted, “so the police took the little girl into their car with the mother and they just raced out of here.”

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According to the New York Times, the city had been under a thunderstorm watch since noon and Environment Canada issued a weather warning about 30 minutes before the winds rose. A meteorologist said peak winds reached close to 70 km/h.

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In a statement to National Post, the coroner’s office offered its condolences to the family and anyone else affected.