Boy, 11, is electrocuted by bouncy castle in South Africa 

Boy, 11, is electrocuted by bouncy castle his parents hired to keep their children entertained during coronavirus lockdown in South Africa

  • Schoolboy was fatally electrocuted  by a bouncy castle in his garden  in S. Africa
  • Paramedics raced to their Heidelberg home but were unable to save Pedre, 11  
  • Bouncy castle is now being examined to determine how the accident happened 
  • Learn more about how to help people impacted by COVID

This freckle-faced schoolboy was electrocuted and killed by a bouncy castle his parents had hired to keep him and his sister entertained during the coronavirus lockdown.

Paul and Rhodine de Beer feared boredom would drive son Pedre, 11, and daughter Anele, 5, stir crazy, so they splashed out on the inflatable for them and their friends to play on.

But Pedre tripped over the generator as he was being chased by a friend and started ‘shaking violently’ in front of his mother.

Pedre de Beer, 11, was electrocuted and killed by a bouncy castle his parents had hired to keep him and his sister entertained during the coronavirus lockdown

The bouncy castle. Paul and Rhodine de Beer feared boredom would drive son Pedre, 11, and daughter Anele, 5, stir crazy, so they splashed out on the inflatable for them and their friends to play on

The bouncy castle. Paul and Rhodine de Beer feared boredom would drive son Pedre, 11, and daughter Anele, 5, stir crazy, so they splashed out on the inflatable for them and their friends to play on

The de Beers. Mother-of-two Rhodine from Heidelberg in Gauteng Province, South Africa, tried to pull Pedre off the motor but suffered an electric shock from the 240 volt charge

The de Beers. Mother-of-two Rhodine from Heidelberg in Gauteng Province, South Africa, tried to pull Pedre off the motor but suffered an electric shock from the 240 volt charge

Mother-of-two Rhodine from Heidelberg in Gauteng Province, South Africa, tried to pull Pedre off the motor but suffered an electric shock from the 240 volt charge.

Paramedics raced to the scene where the distraught parents fought to revive their son but despite an hour long battle the emergency services declared the schoolboy dead.

A family friend said: ‘Paul and Rhodine are devastated and Anele is lost without her big brother. The castle seemed a great idea for the kids and their friends to bounce on.

‘There must have been a fault as you don’t just get killed if you touch the motor surely? The castle has been deflated and is being examined by experts to see what went wrong.

Pedre de Beer. A family friend said: 'Paul and Rhodine are devastated and Anele is lost without her big brother. The castle seemed a great idea for the kids and their friends to bounce on'

Pedre de Beer. A family friend said: ‘Paul and Rhodine are devastated and Anele is lost without her big brother. The castle seemed a great idea for the kids and their friends to bounce on’

Pedre and his little sister Anele. Paramedics raced to the scene where the distraught parents fought to revive their son but despite an hour long battle the emergency services declared the schoolboy dead

Pedre and his little sister Anele. Paramedics raced to the scene where the distraught parents fought to revive their son but despite an hour long battle the emergency services declared the schoolboy dead

‘There must have been a short circuit or something that turned the motor live. That house is always full of fun but it will be a long time until they get over this tragedy’ she said.

In 2012 Ruan Pieterse, 5, was electrocuted and killed at Stonehaven-on-Vaal resort in nearby Zuurfontein when the power box from a bouncy castle toppled onto his legs.

In 2017 five children were seriously injured and schoolgirl Vinsesher Christians, 5, killed when a driver ploughed his station wagon into a bouncy castle in a garden in Cape Town.

A South African Police Service spokesman said it was their understanding that the de Beer family had hired the bouncy castle for three weeks as a treat for their children.

South Africa’s three week coronavirus shut down has just been extended to five weeks by President Cyril Ramaphosa with total deaths due to COVID-19 at just 27 so far.

A Governor at Pedre's school, Jaco Billing said: 'He was a beautiful freckle faced blue eyed boy well loved by his fellow learners and teachers and is in all our prayers'

A Governor at Pedre’s school, Jaco Billing said: ‘He was a beautiful freckle faced blue eyed boy well loved by his fellow learners and teachers and is in all our prayers’

The owners of the bouncy castle refused to comment on the electrocution and death of the popular youngster until after the investigation into their equipment is completed.

A Governor at Pedre’s school, Jaco Billing said: ‘He was a beautiful freckle faced blue eyed boy well loved by his fellow learners and teachers and is in all our prayers’.

 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk