A nine-year-old boy has been injured after a gust of wind sent an inflatable zorb ball into the air. The incident was captured by video, appearing to show a "freak" whirlwind - described by some as a "mini tornado" - take hold of the ball.
The boy was playing at the Southport Food and Drink Festival when the zorb was blown away shortly before 2pm on Sunday (June 4). Witnesses said he catapulted around "20ft in the air".
As reported by the Liverpool Echo, the company behind the zorb ball attracted have wished the boy a "rapid recovery". They are currently assisting a multi-agency investigation over how the incident happened.
READ MORE: Warning as hoverboard bursts into flames in Bristol house
Commenting on the video, some people have described the "freak weather phenonomena" as a "dust devil". These strong and relatively short-lived whirlwinds often form as a swirling updraft under sunny skies.
Paul Holmes, who rushed to help the boys, said: "In my peripheral vision I saw two of the zorb balls go up into the sky and I just screamed at the top of my voice 'there's a kid in one of those balls someone catch him.' The minute I shouted 'there's a boy in the sky' the staff at the inflatable place were quick to get all of the kids out of the remaining balls in the pit.
"I don't know if the parents jumped in or just the staff but they were quick taking them out of the remaining balls. One of the zorb balls didn't go that high and landed.
"The main zorb of concern I would say was probably 15 to 20 metres in the sky easily. The wind just whipped it up into the sky. It was like a bit of a freak weather phenomena."
Merseyside Police has since confirmed the boy remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition. A spokesperson for Sefton Council said: "We can confirm that an Air Ambulance was called to Victoria Park, Southport this afternoon (Sunday, June 4) following an accident within the grounds.
"First aid responders from St Johns Ambulance reacted quickly to provide assistance to the person involved prior to the arrival of other emergency services.
"Following the incident a full health and safety inspection has been undertaken at the Southport Food and Drink Festival and the event remains open to the public. Our thoughts are with those involved in the accident and we wish them a full recovery."
Read next:
