Mum’s heartbreak as Scott Morrison, wife Jenny tear up as they lay flowers in Tasmania
The mother of a child killed in the jumping castle tragedy has returned to the school in Tasmania, to thank those who have left tributes and others who tried to save her son.
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The mother of a child killed in the jumping castle tragedy has returned to the school in Tasmania, to thank those who have left tributes and others who tried to save her son.
Georgina Gardam, who lost Zane Mellor, 12, in the tragedy, spoke to the media while holding her son’s school shirt and gaming controller.
She told 7News while crying: “I just needed to see what everybody had done and I appreciate it so much but nothing brings my baby home.”
She said she has her own memorial for him at home, where there are Christmas presents they have opened for him.
“This isn’t real,” she said online.
“My world is broken. I am empty. I am coming to hold your hand and kiss your face baby. “How do we go on without you, we know we gave you the best life.
“I may (have) let you game a little too long or spoil you with too much McDonald’s and Hawaiian pizza and buy too many playstation games but everything I did in life was for you.”
His grandfather Richard Gardam said he felt for the inflatable’s operator. “I want to tell the fella he went there in good faith - we understand his grief,’ he told 7News.
“He must be feeling bad.”
He also described him as a “fun-loving kid”.
“I’ll miss him terribly,” he said.
The mourning grandfather also thanked those that came to the scene after the tragedy occurred.
“The police, the ambos, the teachers, everyone that was up here that came to assist, I know it is the toughest day you can ever face,” he said.
“I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your efforts.
“I hope you can somewhere lock this away in the back of your memory.”
PM AND WIFE TEAR UP MORE SUPPORT ANNOUNCED
It comes after Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his wife Jenny have paid tribute to the five children who were killed in the horrific jumping castle tragedy in Tasmania.
The couple privately paid their respects by laying flowers to the growing memorial outside Hillcrest Primary School in Devonport where Peter Dodt, Jalailah Jayne-Marie Jones, Addison Stewart, Jye Sheehan and Zane Mellor lost their lives.
The school was celebrating the last day of the 2021 school year with a “Big Day In” celebration before wind caused the jumping castle and inflatable zorb balls to be picked up, with nine children falling from a height of 10m.
Images show the Prime Minister and his wife wiping tears from their eyes while laying flowers at the growing memorial to the children.
Handwritten notes were left with the flowers which read: “In loving memory of these beautiful children who are no longer with us”.
“Our hearts break for the families and the community left behind. Thinking of you all.”
Mr Morrison was emotional as he knelt for a minute of silence reading the messages left by the shattered community.
He comforted his wife who broke down.
The emotional visit comes after the Prime Minister announced $800,000 in funding to provide counselling and mental health support to the Tasmanian community.
Mr Morrison described the incident as a “terrible, unthinkable, unimaginable tragedy” before announcing $800,000 to support the families and community with counselling and other mental health services.
“We discussed there will need to be ongoing counselling and other emotional support, particularly mental health support,” he said.
Following discussions with the Health Minister and other advisers, the Prime Minister said there would be $250,000 for first responders and $550,000 for the broader community.
The money will be paid to Tasmania’s Primary Health Network and will be provided over an 18-month period.
“We know support won’t just be needed in the next few weeks, it will be needed for many, many, many months to try and begin the process of healing,” Mr Morrison said.
Additional trauma counselling for those involved in the incident will be included in the $250,000.
Training in trauma and psychological first aid will be given to those providing the service.
The $500,000 includes $200,000 for additional trauma and counselling in the community, $200,000 for local Headspace and trauma care and expanded supports for young people.
There will also be $100,000 to support the return-to-school in 2022 including training and counselling for teachers and staff, while $50,000 will be dedicated to community mental health.
“It’s a terribly, terribly awful time for Tasmanians, I want to extend our deepest sympathies for the five families in particular who have lost these precious young ones,” he told media from Hobart on Saturday morning.
“We think also of the families of the three who are still in a terribly critical condition.”
Mr Morrison said there were “no words, only prayers” for Tasmanians and the community carrying the burden.
“It will be a heavy burden, it will weight them down,” he said.
“Whether it’s first responders, the teachers, the friends, the family, the P & C at Hillcrest, Australia is with them and we grieve with them and we mourn with them.”
Tasmanian police described the incident as a “significant local wind event” with investigations underway and involvement from WorkSafe Tasmania.
Three children remain in hospital in a critical condition, with one recovering at home after being discharged.
Premier Peter Gutwein thanked Mr Morrison for the support and thanked the premiers around Australia who “reached out and offered support”.
“Could I just say once again to all of those that have been impacted by this terrible, terrible tragedy, to the families of the five children who passed away, words can’t express the sympathy that I feel,” Mr Gutwein said.
“Tasmanians feel the outpouring of sympathy right across this country.”
Tasmanian Police Commissioner Darren Hine was asked by reporters about whether the jumping castle was tied to the ground before it became airborne.
He repeatedly sidestepped the question during a Friday morning press conference, along with questions related to zorb balls which were also reportedly launched into the air along with the bouncy castle.
“Was the jumping castle tethered at all?” one journalist asked, with Commissioner Hine simply replying: “That forms part of the investigation”.
“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,” he added.
‘OUR HEARTS ACHE’: MILLIONS RAISED AS TRIBUTES LAID
As tributes poured in for the children killed in the jumping castle tragedy at Hillcrest Primary School, so did the donations from around Australia.
A GoFundMe page set by local woman Zoe Smith on Thursday with the aim of reaching $1m reached the target on Satuday night with more than 16,300 donations. One donor, that remains anonymous, devoted $45,000. So far it has reached $1.2m and counting.
Another was Hamish Rose’s little five-year-old son. Mr Rose wrote that when his son heard the tragic news, he “came to me with his money box and told me that sharing is caring.”
“Our hearts ache for you.”
Tasmania Police confirmed the names of the victims as Addison Stewart (11), Zane Mellor (12), Jye Sheehan (12), Jalailah Jayne-Maree Jones (12) and Peter Dodt (12).
Three other children remain in a critical condition in hospital. Another child was released from hospital and is recovering at home.
Little Peter Dodt dreamt of being an astronaut when he grew up.
The youngest of three siblings, the blue-eyed, freckle-faced kid with a huge smile was described as mischievous, adventurous and full of life by his family and broken hearted aunt Tamara Scott.
Peter – along with four classmates – was killed on Thursday in the accident in Davenport, Tasmania.
“Peter was a young 12 year old boy who was full of life and adventures,” Ms Scott wrote on a GoFundMe page she set up to help her brother, Peter’s father Andrew with living and funeral expenses.
Ms Scott revealed Peter’s father went to pick up his son’s school bag on Friday and is “beyond shattered”. She said he just cuddled his son’s school bag and cried.
The blow-up jumping castle the children were playing on was set up to be part of fun activities, along with zorb balls for the last day of school.
But a huge gust of wind lifted the castle 10 metres into the air.
An investigation is underway into what went wrong and Tasmanian Police Commissioner Darren Hine refused to say whether the jumping castle was tied down when it flew into the air.
“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,” Mr Hine said on Friday.
He said about 40 children witnessed the tragedy as well as several adults who provided first aid until emergency services arrived.
Zane Mellor’s aunt wrote a heartfelt tribute to her nephew on Facebook.
“Never would I have imagined I would have to say goodbye to you my boy. Yesterday we lost the most beautiful soul, my sister’s first baby, my first nephew, our heart and our soul … Rest easy our beautiful boy, I’ll live my life every day for you.”
Friends of Zane’s mother, Georgie Gardam, paid tribute to her and to Zane as a gorgeous boy.”
“ … Zane was such a beautiful caring, gentle soul who had challenges growing up with his autism and adhd but that never set him back he kept achieving and Georgie is the most amazing mum, she never gave up and was by his side every step of the way encouraging, loving and fighting for him, “ wrote friends Grace, Amber and Sarah-Kate.
Meg Aherne, the aunt of Addison Stewart, said her brother and sister will have to try and navigate life without their precious daughter.
“I don’t even know what to write at this stage. Everyone is devastated, she was always such a sweet kind, old soul.
“We all love you Paddi Melon,” she wrote.
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