A 10-year-old Warrawong girl who fractured her leg after landing in the splits position on a trampoline is one of almost 1800 people seriously injured on the play equipment in NSW in the past three years.
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Among the most serious cases was a five-year-old Tamworth boy who had to get his finger amputated due to an injury while helping assemble a trampoline.
Adults too are getting hurt, such as a 68-year-old from Castle Hill who sustained a neck injury after landing headfirst on a trampoline.
The Illawarra/ Southern Sydney region had the third highest number of trampoline injuries (288) attended to by NSW paramedics from 2014 to 2016.
NSW Ambulance Illawarra duty operations manager Inspector Norm Rees attributed the high number of injuries to the rise of indoor trampoline parks, as well as ill-maintained backyard equipment.
‘’In this region for instance, several indoor trampoline centres have opened up in recent years and we have seen a marked increase in trampoline injuries – especially on weekends,’’ he said.
‘’I have to say the trampolines in these centres are usually far safer than an old backyard trampoline, but it’s just the sheer volumes of people who go to them, and the fact that they are attempting more complex and spectacular moves, that may lead to injury.
‘’It comes back to adequate supervision and the onus should always be on the parent or carer to ensure their child’s safety.’’
Paramedics attended to a range of trampoline injuries in the three-year period; from spinal fractures and broken bones to head injuries and loss of teeth.
‘’Paramedics treated a range of patients from children as young as 12 months to adults aged into their 50s and 60s who discovered the hard way they may not be as limber as they used to be,’’ Inspector Rees said.
Meantime the data revealed certain ‘’pitfalls’’ associated with trampoline use.
Many children were injured playing games such as ‘double bouncing’ (one person bouncing another) and ‘cracking the egg’ (one person curls in a ball while another jumps around them until they ‘open’).
‘’Trampolines get weathered so parents should also ensure that stitching, padding and supports are not damaged,’’ Inspector Rees said.
He urged people to call Triple Zero in the event of serious injury, and to not move patients with head or spinal injuries and fractures.
