‘Never forget’: One year anniversary of jumping castle tragedy

Hillcrest Primary School and the wider Devonport community are planning to commemorate the jumping castle tragedy that took the lives of six children.

The Devonport community is preparing to commemorate the one year anniversary of the jumping castle tragedy that killed six children.

Peter Dodt, Jalailah Jayne-Marie Jones, Addison Stewart, Jye Sheehan, Zane Mellor and Chace Harrison were among the young students enjoying end-of-year celebrations when a wind gust lifted a jumping castle into the air on December 16 last year.

Three other children were also seriously injured and required treatment in hospital.

A commemoration at Devonport’s Market Square will be held on Thursday evening, with people encouraged to leave a flower or message in a heart sculpture.

Six children died in the tragedy. Picture: Brodie Weeding/pool

Hillcrest Primary School Acting Principal Matt Jago said the school would be involved.

“We will be represented at this event by our student representative council, school association and I will be laying flowers on behalf of the school,” he wrote in the latest school newsletter.

A private ceremony will also be held at Hillcrest Primary School on Friday.

“We continue to keep the children, their families, and their loved ones in our hearts and minds,” Premier Jeremy Rockliff said in a statement last week.

“We will never forget.”

More than $1.4m was raised for the families of the victims.

A coronial inquest will be held but there is not yet a date for public hearings.