Toddler killed after bounce house goes airborne is identified

A two-year-old who was killed in a “tragic accident” after a bounce house they were playing in became airborne by a strong gust of wind has been identified as the toddler of a Phoenix firefighter.

The child, Bodhi Naff, has been named the son of Arizona firefighter Karl Naff and his wife Cristy, by the United Phoenix Firefighters.

Bodhi and other children were playing on a bounce house on Saturday when a “strong gust of wind” sent it into the air, leaving the toddler with life-threatening injuries, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office said.

Bodhi was transported to the hospital, where he later died.

“Today, I write with a heavy heart for our brother Karl Naaf and his family. On April 27th, a tragic accident occurred when Karl’s two-year-old son, Bodhi, was fatally injured by a gust of wind lifting the bounce house he was playing in,” the United Phoenix Firefighters wrote in a statement.

The firefighter union said that while they are dealing with this “unimaginable loss”, the couple are expecting their second child on 31 May 2024.

A GoFundMe page was set up to raise funds for the parents also wrote how Cristy is in the final month of her pregnancy with the couple’s second baby.

“Amidst their sorrow, they face the daunting task of preparing for the arrival of their newborn,” the page wrote, which has amassed over $170,000 in donations.

“This devastating loss has left Karl and Cristy grappling with unimaginable grief,” the donations organiser, Ashley Al-Khouri, wrote.

Ms Al-Khouri added that Karl works alongside her husband at Phoenix Fire Station 40, who also posted on their social media the announcement of Bodhi’s passing in a “bounce house accident”.

“Karl and Cristy have been an integral part of Firehouse 25 family for many years, including Rescue 25 and paramedic precepting,” the fire station wrote on Instagram.

Officers from the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office were called to a residence near Casa Grande in Arizona at around 5pm on Saturday after the bounce house became airborne while a group of children were playing on it.

“That afternoon, several children were playing in a bounce house when a strong gust of wind sent it airborne into the neighbouring lot,” the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

“A two-year-old child was transported to the hospital, where he passed away. A second child received non-life threatening injuries and was also transported to the hospital for care.”

The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office also offered their “heartfelt thoughts and prayers to the grieving family”.

At this stage, police say the incident appears to be a “tragic accident”, but an investigation into what caused the death is ongoing.