A 15-year-old who survived Tasmania's Hillcrest Primary School bouncy castle incident in 2021 has died in an e-bike crash on New Year's Eve.
Lucas Reid, 15, was killed after his bike struck a pole in Devonport about 7.30pm on New Year's Eve, 7News reports.
It was reported that he died at the scene, despite efforts from a nearby resident.
The teenager was one of the children seriously injured after a freak gust of wind lifted a jumping castle into the air at the school's fun day on December 16, 2021.
Six children died and three, including Lucas, were badly hurt.
Lucas was a huge AFL fan, and Toby Greene, captain of the GWS Giants, offered his condolences to his family.
"It is tragic news. Lucas was such a great young man and had overcome so much. His resilience and optimism really stood out," he told The Mercury.
Lucas' death comes amid ongoing legal battles surrounding the jumping castle tragedy, including a coronial inquest which was due to have a hearing in April
Last year, the sole operator of Taz-zorb, Rosemary Gamble, was charged with failure to comply with health and safety duty, but found not guilty of workplace safety breaches, with a magistrate ruling the "dust devil" was impossible to predict.
In December, chief coroner Olivia McTaggart provided a "detailed" update about the progress of inquest preparations, as she had been prohibited from obtaining critical investigation documents until the appeal period in Gamble's matter ran out.
The inquest's scope was broader than those proceedings and could include analysis of Tasmanian education department policies around risk and contractor employment.
It will be held with the view of preventing further similar incidents and could make recommendations, she said.
The inquest will consider the set-up of the castle and whether the process complied with Australian standards, as well as its anchorage and the "foreseeability" of the wind.
- Additional reporting by AAP
SHARE ME