Two little boys are still recovering after being seriously hurt Sunday when the bounce house they were playing inside somehow lifted off the ground, went over an eight-foot fence, and came crashing down 50 feet away.
The incident happened at Sullivan Farm in Nashua, New Hampshire, where NECN met visitors who were sending along well wishes to the children involved.
"We are thinking about them and hoping everything works out well," says mother Ana Melo of Lowell, Massachusetts.
A 3-year-old was taken to a local hospital, while a 2-year-old was airlifted to Tufts Medical Center in critical condition Sunday.
Officials say the boys somehow got into a bounce house that was inflated in an area closed off to the public. Witnesses say the gate into the fenced-off area was open to allow passengers to get on and off the hayride.
Bounce house owner Gary Bergeron says he was setting up for a Halloween carnival that kicks off next weekend. He says he inflated the bounce house to dry it out after the rain on Saturday.
Bergeron wouldn't talk on camera on Monday, but Sunday, he told NECN that the bounce house was not anchored to the ground because he had no intentions of letting anyone inside.
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"It wasn't set up, it wasn't set to go, we had a couple of hay bails in front of it to block it," Bergeron said.
Bergeron also sent us a photo of a posted sign warning families to stay out of the bounce house unless an attendant is on duty.
"It's really unfortunate that the whole thing happened," Bergeron said Sunday. "I wish that the kids are OK."
Bounce houses are regulated by the New Hampshire Tramway and Amusement Ride Safety Bureau. Bureau Chief Briggs Lockwood tells NECN that if the device had been open to the public, it would have needed to be registered and inspected.
Lockwood says that because it wasn't intended for public use, the bureau cleared the operator of any wrongdoing.
Local officials say they will make their own decisions about who, if anyone, is at fault.
"We're doing a thorough investigation as we would do with any kind of amusement or industrial type accident," said Nashua Assistant Fire Chief Steven Galipeau.
Galipeau says it's still far too early to determine if there will be any charges filed in this case.
The owner of Sullivan Farm, Kathy Williams, wouldn't answer any questions on Monday, but passed along her thoughts and prayers to the families involved.
Bergeron says if the carnival goes on as planned next weekend, he plans to hold a fundraiser to help the little boys on their road to recovery.
