The Montreal toddler who was critically injured when the bouncy castle she was playing in was hurled into the air by fierce winds on Sunday afternoon has died, the Quebec coroner’s office announced Tuesday.
The three-year-old was identified as Ava Ciampini in a GoFundMe created to support her parents, Luca and Arielle, with expenses related to their daughter’s funeral and memorial.
“She was the light of every room she walked into, and the hole she leaves behind is impossible to put into words,” wrote Stefano Giliati, who operates a youth hockey training program with the grieving father.
“Luca and Arielle are now facing the unimaginable while also caring for their baby boy, Milan. In the middle of this grief, the last thing this family should have to think about is the financial burden that comes with saying goodbye to their little girl.”
The tragedy occurred at Ouellette Park in the borough of LaSalle where the family’s parish, Madre Dei Cristiani church, was celebrating the Feast of the Madonna, or the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
As a series of thunderstorms passed over the region, it whipped up winds and a sudden, violent gust sent chairs and debris flying, toppled vendors’ tents and knocked people down, according to the Montreal Gazette . Also sent airborne was the inflatable structure.
“I saw a huge cube flying into the air, at least 40 feet up, about as high as the nearby buildings,” attendee Eric Chicas told the paper. “I remember thinking and hoping nobody was inside.”
It’s not clear how many children were in the inflatable at the time.
Montreal police officers already on hand were able to offer immediate assistance and emergency responders were quick to arrive, with five ambulances and an advanced life support unit deployed to the scene, according to CityNews .
Urgences-Santé head of operations Valérie Guertin said paramedics assessed 11 people on site, six of whom were taken to hospital — four adults and two children, one of whom was Ciampini.
Samuel Leon, who lives across the street from the park, told CityNews he saw a woman running towards a car with a little girl in her arms.
“She was out, she was limp,” he recounted, “so the police took the little girl into their car with the mother and they just raced out of here.”
According to the New York Times , the city had been under a thunderstorm watch since noon and Environment Canada issued a weather warning about 30 minutes before the winds rose. A meteorologist said peak winds reached close to 70 km/h.
In a statement to National Post, the coroner’s office offered its condolences to the family and anyone else affected.
“Coroner Martine Lachance has been mandated to conduct an investigation to shed light on the causes and circumstances surrounding the death,” a spokesperson wrote. “At the end of her investigation, if she deems it appropriate, the coroner may also make recommendations. These are preventive measures that aim to protect human life and prevent deaths in similar circumstances.”
Montreal police are also investigating the incident, which includes a review of whether safety measures were properly followed, the CBC reported. National Post has contacted the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal for more information.
As of late Wednesday morning, the fundraiser was ready to eclipse its $350,000 goal. Among the donors were former NHLer Max Pacioretty and his wife, Katia, and Montreal-based clothing manufacturer Man Made.
Giliati said the money will give the family “space and time to grieve and be together without the added weight of financial stress.
“Any funds beyond those costs will go directly to supporting the family in the difficult months ahead,” he wrote.
“If you knew Ava, love the Ciampinis, or simply want to help a family through the hardest chapter of their lives, please consider donating or sharing this page. Every contribution, no matter the size, is a reminder to Luca and Arielle that they are not alone.”
Provincial and local leaders have also expressed their condolences to the family.
“I cannot begin to imagine the pain you are going through right now,” borough Mayor Nancy Blanchet wrote to the family in a Facebook post offering the community’s sympathies.
“In LaSalle, we all know each other, whether closely or from afar. In moments like this, the entire community is deeply shaken and shares in your grief.”
On X, Quebec Premier Christine Frechette said in French that “no parent should ever have to endure the loss of a child.
“The circumstances surrounding this tragedy, which occurred during a family gathering that brought together an entire community, make this ordeal all the more difficult to accept.”
Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada said her thoughts are with the Ciampini family, but she also issued a warning about using inflatable structures in windy conditions.
“We have to be careful in terms of using those types of equipment under big winds like we had yesterday,” she said at a Monday news conference, per CityNews . “It came really fast and hopefully it’s a good advisement to people to be careful when they use this kind of equipment.”
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