Inquest hears of efforts to save children after jumping castle tragedy
A police officer tells a court the jumping castle tragedy at Hillcrest Primary School in 2021 was like nothing he had seen in almost 30 years in the service.
First Class Constable Dean Wotherspoon recounted the chaotic efforts to save six children after a jumping castle was toppled by strong winds at Hillcrest Primary School, resulting in their deaths on December 16, 2021. The first responder, who had never seen a mass casualty event of such scale in his 30-year career, described the scene upon arrival as "organized chaos."
Police officers, school staff, and paramedics all worked tirelessly to save the children, but the division of responsibility initially caused confusion. Ambulance Tasmania struggled to provide sufficient medical resources due to the overwhelming scale of the incident. Constable Wotherspoon took on the role of crime scene coordinator, but acknowledged that he should have maintained that role while documenting the scene.
He also noted that some mistakes were made during the chaotic response, such as a police officer moving a Zorb Ball from one side of the oval to the other. Despite these errors, he did not believe they significantly impacted the forensic examination. Constable Wotherspoon will lead the coroner on a visit to the site on Thursday, with the inquest resuming in November and February to hear from experts in meteorology, geotechnical engineering, and other relevant topics.
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