The five pupils lost their lives after a bouncy castle blew 10 metres in the air at an end-of-year celebration
The five school children who died in a freak bouncy castle accident on Thursday have all been identified.
Jye Sheehan, Jalailah Jayne-Maree Jones, Zane Mellor, Peter Dodt, all age 12, and their classmate Addison Stewart, 11, lost their lives in the tragic incident when the bouncy castle they were on was blown into the air at Hillcrest Primary School in Devonport, Tasmania.
With the permission of the families, Tasmania Police released the names and photos of each child in a statement on Friday.
Jalailah Jayne-Maree Jones, 12, who also died in the tragedy on ThursdayThe force added: “Our thoughts continue to be with the families, loved ones and all those affected by this tragedy.
“We ask media to be respectful of the families and those involved to allow them space to grieve and process this traumatic event.”
Police released the names and photos of the five victims, including Jye Sheehan, 12 (credit: Tasmania Police)Three children are still in at Royal Hobart hospital with their injuries.
Dodt’s aunt, Tamara Scott, said that the boy’s father, Andrew Dodt, was “beyond shattered” by his death.
Peter Dodt, 12, who was one of the five children to tragically die in the accident (credit: Tasmania Police)She told the Daily Mail: “He went to the school this morning to collect his school bag – he felt he had to do that, and he just cuddled it and cried.
“He’s unrepairable.
“It was him and his dad against the world.”
Zane Mellor has been celebrating the final day of the school year with his classmates (credit: GoFundMe)A number of fundraiser pages have been set up to raise money for the victims’ families. One such page set up by a local woman has so far raised more than $1m for the families.
The page reads: ” I don’t know of or are related to any of the affected children but this is something close to my heart and it was something simple I could do .
“I was moved by the tragedy at Hillcrest Primary School and wanted to do something to support the families throughout Christmas.
“All funds will go to the families of the children who were tragically killed and injured to not only support them but provide them with much needed gifts in this time of such sadness.
“Hopefully we as the incredible community of Devonport can rally to support such deserving and hurting people.”
Addison Stewart was another of the students who died in the accident (credit: GoFundMe)At a press conference on Friday morning, police refused to say whether the jumping castle was tied down when it flew into the air.
“Was the jumping castle tethered at all?” one reporter asked.
“That forms part of the investigation,” Tasmanian Police Commissioner Darren Hine said.
“It is fair to say that those injured were inside the castle. We need to piece the movements of the individuals together so we can present a full picture to the coroner.”
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