Teacher tells inquest of grief after jumping castle tragedy
A teacher who taught some of the young victims of the 2021 jumping castle tragedy in Tasmania has told an inquest about the day of the heartbreaking incident and how much their deaths affected his life.
Stephen Fenn, a former Hillcrest Primary School teacher, has testified in the coronial inquest into the tragic jumping castle incident that occurred at the school in December 2021. Mr. Fenn, who taught some of the victims, shared how deeply the loss affected him personally. The inquest is scheduled to continue for three blocks of hearings.
Mr. Fenn, a year five/six teacher, was present at the school when a sudden dust devil, caused by a freak wind, lifted and overturned a jumping castle, causing the deaths of Addison Stewart, Chace Harrison, Jye Sheehan, Jalailah Jayne-Maree Jones, Peter Dodt, and Zane Mellor, as well as injuring three other students. He had not witnessed such a phenomenon before and described the eerie sight and sound as he and other adults, including the jumping castle's owner, Rosemary Gamble, reacted in horror.
Mr. Fenn attempted to aid the injured, focusing initially on Jye Sheehan and Jalailah Jones, before being asked by police to assist with victim identification at Mersey Community Hospital. The coroner's inquiry will delve into Australian safety standards for inflatable amusement devices, the instruction manuals provided to operator Gamble, and the impact the tragedy had on Mr. Fenn's life, including his inability to return to teaching and changes to his personal relationships and outlook on life.
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