Source : Perth Now news
A veteran police officer who was among the first emergency personnel at the scene of a deadly jumping castle tragedy will give evidence at an inquest.
Tasmania Police constable Dean Wotherspoon was responsible for the forensic examination of the Hillcrest Primary School incident on December 16, 2021 in Devonport in Tasmania.
Students Addison Stewart, Chace Harrison, Jye Sheehan, Jalailah Jayne-Maree Jones, Peter Dodt and Zane Mellor died after a freak wind gust lifted the castle into the air.
Const Wotherspoon will give evidence on Wednesday at the inquest.
The inquest is examining oversight of government departments and safety processes of castle operator Taz-Zorb, as well as the broad response to the incident.
Several families of the six children who died claim they were given incorrect information about the condition and location of their kids in the aftermath.
Tasmanian Health Service executive Paula Hyland said there were difficulties identifying the children at the hospital on the day of the tragedy, affecting the information given to parents.
However, it didn’t impact the care provided to the children, she said.
Ms Hyland said an identification protocol had been developed in the years since and Mersey Community Hospital staff did everything they could to help the victims.
State forensic pathologist Andrew Reid said he didn’t believe any alternative medical or surgical interventions could have changed the outcome for the six children.
Georgie Burt, the mother of Zane, earlier told the inquest she was told he had been taken to the hospital but later found out he had died on the school oval.
An unexpected “dust devil” wind event lifted the castle 16 metres into the air. Multiple witnesses say the weather was otherwise calm on the morning of the accident.
Police evidence suggests four of eight anchorage points on the castle had pegs in them, the inquest has been told.
The inquest will sit again on Friday, with further hearings to be held in November and February.
Taz-Zorb operator Rosemary Gamble, who was in 2025 found not guilty of criminal workplace safety breaches, is expected to give evidence at some point.
