Serious questions are being raised about the lack of safety regulations for trampoline parks after a Vancouver Island man died at one of these facilities.
Jay Greenwood, a father of two girls, died on Saturday evening following an accident at a trampoline park in Richmond, B.C. Greenwood was reportedly performing a series of acrobatic manoeuvres when he fell, suffering serious injuries and cardiac arrest.
“This girl came running out crying saying her dad's been hurt and he's not moving and he can't breathe and he needs help,” Karm Layegh, a witness to the incident, told CTV Vancouver.
Those close to Greenwood are still in shock that their friend is no longer with them.
“I didn't believe it. I honestly just said ‘No. There's no way, not Jay,’” said Deanna Young, a friend of Greenwood’s for 15 years.
“I just hope he's in a better place.”
The RCMP are investigating the incident. Extreme Air Parks, the park in question, says they are co-operating with officers and that their trampolines are “100 per cent safe.”
"Safety is our main focus and the park undergoes a daily visual inspection and a weekly in-depth assessment," the company said in a statement to CTV Vancouver Island.
While the company says their facilities are safe, Technical Safety BC says there are no specific regulations for trampoline parks and they are not inspected for safety standards.
“In light of this incident, we will be reviewing the regulatory framework,” Technical Safety BC told CTV Vancouver Island in a statement.
BC Coroner's Service spokesman Andy Watson said it’s possible an investigation into this case could produce some safety recommendations and regulations.
"One of the things that we do in any investigation is to look if we can make recommendations to help improve safety, public safety, so that'll be a determination we'll look at," he said.
Anyone at the park must sign a waiver stating they understand the inherent dangers of trampoline use, but personal injury lawyer Scott Stanley is urging people to watch for the fine print in these documents.
“What it really means is that the company--no matter how badly they screw up or how badly they injure you--you cannot sue, and most people don't understand that,” he said.
Last week, news broke that an Edmonton man had filed a $17.1 million lawsuit against a trampoline park, alleging he was not properly informed of the risks.
Landon Smith became paralyzed from the waist down after landing on the concrete below a foam pit. He is not likely to ever walk again.
In speaking with CTV Edmonton last week, Smith said he’d like to see new regulations for trampoline parks.
“It'd be hard to see another family go through what we've gone through. I think the biggest thing is this could've been prevented,” he said at the time.
With a report from CTV Vancouver’s David Malko, CTV Vancouver Island, CTV Edmonton and with files from The Canadian Press
