Klamath Falls Celebration Upended After Wind Lifts Bounce House; Children Injured
Several children were injured Saturday, including 6-year-old, who was flown to Portland for surgery.
AT A GLANCE
Incident: Sudden wind gusts lifted a bounce house during Saturday’s Zae Day event at Klamath Commons.
Injuries: Several children were hurt, including 6-year-old Lilly Gailey, who was flown to Portland for surgery.
Event: Zae Day honors Zahavah Townsend and raises support for car seat safety through Forever5.
Investigation: Police were on scene, and questions remain about how the inflatable was secured. No public finding has determined that anchoring caused or contributed to the incident.
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. — What was meant to be a day of remembrance, kindness, and community suddenly became a scene of panic Saturday when powerful wind gusts swept through downtown Klamath Falls and lifted an inflatable bounce house with children inside.
The incident happened during the fourth annual Zae Day at Klamath Commons, an event organized by Forever5 in memory of Zahavah Townsend, who died in a vehicle crash in 2022 at age 5.
Zae Day was created to keep Zahavah’s memory alive while promoting kindness and car seat safety. Proceeds from the event help provide car seats to families in the community.
Then the weather changed.
Witnesses described a sudden burst of wind that sent canopies, signs, and other objects flying through the Commons. The Herald and News reported that the bounce house was lifted nearly 30 feet into the air, injuring several children. The National Weather Service in Medford attributed the gusty conditions that day to circulation around a low-pressure system.
People nearby described the change as almost instantaneous.
Tori Hayman, who was face painting at the event, told the Herald and News that one moment people were enjoying the celebration and, within seconds, canopies, inflatables, and belongings were being thrown through the air.
Jeanette Zaremba, who owns Cherry Blossom Boutique downtown, told the newspaper she saw what appeared to be several columns of wind moving through downtown before turning toward the Commons. Moments later, she heard people screaming and then emergency vehicles arriving.
A first-grader’s trip becomes a flight to Portland
Among those injured was 6-year-old Lilly Gailey.
Instead of preparing for her first day of first grade, Lilly was flown from Klamath Falls to Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland after suffering a serious injury to her upper arm and shoulder.
In a public update, Lilly’s mother, Rayden Tupper, said doctors performed surgery to reposition the bone and give it a better chance to heal.
Lilly is expected to remain in a cast for at least four weeks and will need to avoid putting weight on the arm for roughly two months. Her family said she is also being watched for signs of a concussion. A CT scan did not show bleeding in her brain, which her mother described as welcome news after a frightening night.
“She thought she was going to die and was worried about her little sister.”
Doctors have also told the family that the injury could affect how the arm grows, making additional surgery a possibility later.
The physical recovery is only part of what the family is dealing with.
Tupper said Lilly has begun processing what happened and has told her family she thought she was going to die when the bounce house went into the air. She was also worried about her younger sister.
“She’s been so strong and brave,” Tupper wrote, while also describing the emotional toll the experience has taken on both children.
A GoFundMe has been established by relatives to help the family with travel, medical, and recovery-related expenses.
Other families injured
Lilly was not the only child hurt.
The Herald and News also reported that 4-year-old Ellianna Crain and her mother, Kristalina Derry, were injured during the incident.
Derry, who is seven months pregnant, told the newspaper she saw the bounce house lift from the ground and ran toward it looking for her daughter. During the chaos, she was struck by a loose canopy and knocked down.
“I have nightmares. I thought I lost my daughter.”
Mother and daughter eventually found one another beneath the deflating inflatable.
Derry told the newspaper she has since been placed on doctor-ordered bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy and is unable to work while she recovers.
The total number of people injured has not been publicly confirmed. Online reports have suggested five children were hurt, but the Herald and News said it was unable to independently verify that number.
A celebration interrupted
The circumstances make Saturday’s incident especially painful.
Zae Day was created from one family’s loss and built around an effort to help other children stay safe. Forever5 has used the annual gathering to celebrate Zahavah’s life, promote car seat safety, and give back to families in the Klamath Basin.
After Saturday’s incident, the organization asked the community to keep the injured children and their families in their thoughts.
Witnesses also described people immediately rushing to help, checking on children, securing loose equipment, and assisting families in the confusion.
Hayman told the Herald and News that what happened should not overshadow the purpose behind Zae Day or the work that went into creating an event intended to bring the community together.
Questions remain
The incident has also raised questions about how the bounce house was secured and whether anything could have prevented it from becoming airborne.
The Herald and News reported that 541 Jump Events and Party Rentals provided the inflatable but did not respond to a request for comment.
Police were at the scene, and the circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation. There has been no public finding that improper anchoring caused or contributed to what happened.
For the families involved, those questions will come later.
For now, the focus is recovery.
Lilly’s first-grade year began without her in the classroom. Instead, she spent those first days hundreds of miles from home, recovering from surgery with her arm immobilized and her family beside her.
After a day that was supposed to honor one little girl’s memory, another Klamath Falls family is now beginning a long road back from an afternoon that changed in seconds.
Editor’s Note: Jefferson Daily News publisher Brian Gailey is not related to Lilly Gailey or her family. Anyone who witnessed the incident or has photos or video from Zae Day is encouraged to share them with Jefferson Daily News through our Contact page.
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