A jumping castle that became airborne at Hillcrest Primary School, killing six pupils, had not been adequately anchored, a senior Tasmania Police investigator has told an inquest.
Constable Dean Wotherspoon, one of the first officers at the Devonport school in December 2021, said the inflatable castle and a nearby Zorb-ball barrier were both insufficiently secured when a sudden gust of wind struck.
Addison Stewart, Chace Harrison, Jye Sheehan, Jalailah Jayne-Maree Jones, Peter Dodt and Zane Mellor died during end-of-year celebrations at the school.
The inquest heard that only four of the castle’s eight anchorage points contained pegs. The Zorb barrier had pegs in six of its 32 anchorage points.
“There was insufficient anchorage on the castle and the Zorb barrier,” Const Wotherspoon said.
Unused pegs and star pickets, which can be used to secure equipment, were readily available in a trailer belonging to the operator, Taz-Zorb, he said.
Const Wotherspoon also acknowledged shortcomings in the police response, including the handling of Georgie Burt, Zane’s mother, who was prevented from entering the oval while other families were allowed access.
“Who made the decision that one family could go in and another family couldn’t?” he said. “It is obvious that we can and should have done better.”
Ms Burt previously told the inquest she was initially told Zane had been taken to a nearby hospital, before later learning that he had died on the oval.
Const Wotherspoon said the absence of a clear chain of command had hindered police operations and the securing of the scene. He said officers should have paused, established a plan and properly secured the oval.
He became tearful while describing the profound impact of the tragedy on him and the police force, saying the children had been celebrating the next chapter of their lives.
“It’s a rule of nature that you’re not meant to outlive your children,” he said. “If not directly responsible for ending some (police) careers, it has hastened it.”
He added that people had done their utmost to save lives.
The inquest will continue on Friday with evidence from Tasmania Police assistant commissioner Adrian Bodnar. Further hearings are scheduled for November and February.
In 2025, Taz-Zorb operator Rosemary Gamble was found not guilty of criminal workplace safety breaches related to the incident.
