A Tauranga dad has described how New Year’s Eve revellers desperately grabbed a power cord and jumped on an out-of-control bouncy castle to stop a windblown emergency that injured five people.

Witnesses have previously described the “terrifying” moment a bouncy castle blew away and rolled through the crowd, squashing people as it went, at a New Year’s Eve event at Fergusson Park in Matua, Tauranga, about 7.30pm.

Tauranga City Council has confirmed two of the five people injured were taken to hospital, and St John reported one was transported in a serious condition.

Tauranga parents Niekkie and Vanessa Potgieter were at the event with their 7-year-old daughter and family friends.

Niekkie said he and his friend got up to help when they saw the bouncy castle rolling.

“As it rolled, I just saw [what] looked like a rope so I just ran to grab the rope to try and slow it down and as I grabbed that, I thought how am I going to stop this thing alone?

“But as I looked, there were about another 20 guys jumping on [the bouncy castle] as well.”

He then found it was not a rope he was holding but a power cord. The group managed to bring the bouncy castle to a standstill.

Vanessa said she did not see any children on the inflatable as it tumbled towards them.

“The main concern was if a child had been injured or dead, you know, like my daughter having to see that.

“Children were crying and traumatised, my daughter told me she’s never going on a bouncy castle again.”

Niekkie Potgieter has described how he helped bring the rolling bouncy castle to a halt. Photo / Vanessa Potgieter

Kc Ann Southee told the NZ Herald she and her children would have been the next people to go on the bouncy castle before it took off.

“The operator went in herself and cleared all children and adults out.

“Then my kids were about to jump in when the operator said no, it needs a safety check first because of the high winds.

“And not even a second after, it took off, hitting people and picking people up while it was bouncing and flipping.”

Southee said she was “100 per cent no one was on the castle” when it happened but people were still hurt.

Council acting chief executive Gareth Wallis told the Bay of Plenty Times just after midday that he was awaiting an update on the condition of the two people taken to Tauranga Hospital after the incident at the council-organised event.

He said five people were injured and two of them were taken to hospital, including one who was assessed at the scene and later taken to hospital.

The council had heard conflicting reports as to whether anyone was on the bouncy castle when it took off, or whether it had been cleared for a safety check.

Wallis said the council had not come to any conclusions about what happened as its investigation was ongoing. He said there would have been a safety plan in place.

The council had made contact with the company that provided the bouncy castle but had not yet spoken to the operator.

It was also in contact with WorkSafe and waiting to hear whether it would launch a formal investigation.

Shocked witnesses watched as wind picked up a bouncy castle and sent it tumbling through Fergusson Park, Matua. Photo / Supplied

A WorkSafe spokesman told the Bay of Plenty Times it had been notified of the incident and was making initial inquiries.

A Hato Hone St John spokeswoman said it received a call at 7.38pm on Saturday about the incident.

“Our event health services team were already present at the event and we further responded, two ambulances, one rapid response vehicle and one manager to the scene.”

The spokeswoman said one patient was assessed, treated and transported to Tauranga Hospital in a serious condition while four other patients - two in a moderate condition and two in a minor condition - were assessed and treated at the scene.

MetService meteorologist Stephen Glassey said from looking at the winds at Tauranga Airport on New Year’s Eve, the highest gust speed recorded between 5pm and 9pm was 52km/h.

”The gust speeds increased between 6.30pm and 7.30pm from 31km/h to 52km/h.”

The wind direction was easterly, he said.

Bouncy castle safety in NZ

In December 2021, WorkSafe released some general information on its website following an incident in Tasmania where five children were killed and four were injured after a sudden gust of wind picked up a bouncy castle at a primary school fair.

In New Zealand, suppliers and operators of Land Based Inflatable devices such as bouncy castles fall under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. This means they need to eliminate or minimise risks to health and safety so far as reasonably practical.

Suppliers and operators must show how their devices comply with AS 3533, which sets requirements for use, including anchoring and safe use in windy conditions.

Parents can keep tamariki safe by looking for the AS 3533 label, which is prominently displayed on devices from reputable manufacturers and can ask the supplier or operator about their practices and how it can be used safely.

- Additional reporting, Samantha Motion