A trampoline can be a great addition to a backyard. They’re relatively low-maintenance, and they gives kids a way to work out some energy. But if you’re not careful, they can have a variety of possible hazards. One family in England is mourning the loss of their toddler, Felicity Keepin, who died while playing outside on her new trampoline.
A gust of wind, almost like a tornado, went by unexpectedly. Because the family hadn’t properly secured the trampoline, it got caught in the wind. The trampoline and the toddler landed feet away from the home.
Three-year-old Felicity Keepin, was at her home in Longney, Gloucestershire, with her mother and brother when the incident happened on May 10, 2025, the BBC reported. A strong gust of wind came through the neighborhood, picking up Felicity’s trampoline. It sailed about 7 feet before landing in a nearby field. The girl was thrown off before the trampoline made contact with the ground.
Felicity was airlifted to a children’s hospital. Sadly, she succumbed to her injuries on May 17.
“What happened was every parent’s worst nightmare,” Assistant Gloucestershire Coroner Roland Wooderson said during a hearing. “Completely out of the blue a freak gust of wind took the trampoline high into the air and over the hedge. And I don’t use that expression ‘freak gust’ lightly.”
“I was cutting the grass hedge when I heard a noise which sounded like a freight train,” neighbor and witness Adam Nash said in a statement. “I saw a mini tornado crossing the road, about 7 to 8 meters in width, which left a mark in the hedge.”
The girl’s death has been ruled an accident. “Felicity was under the careful supervision of her mother, but this was an extraordinary, tragic and unforeseen accident,” Wooderson said.
According to Wooderson, the child’s parents bough the 12-foot trampoline a week before the accident. It had a net, but he said that it wasn’t secured to the ground. And while he emphasized the importance of anchoring trampolines to the ground, he’s not entirely sure if it would have saved Felicity. A funeral was held for the toddler on June 12. Guests were encouraged to wear pink, according to an online obituary.
