Tasmania Horror: Teenage boy, who survived Hillcrest jumping castle tragedy, dies in e-bike crash; probe launched

A teenage boy who survived a deadly jumping castle tragedy at a primary school in Tasmania died in an e-bike crash on New Year’s Eve. The schoolboy was identified as Lucas Reid. Tasmanian Police said that the 15-year-old boy was killed when he collided with a telephone pole while riding his e-bike on Dons Head Road in Devonport at about 7.30pm on December 31, 2025 (Wednesday).

Noting that the accident is apparently a single-vehicle incident, Tasmanian Police said that the investigation into the matter is ongoing. Sky News Australia reported that a nearby resident rushed to the scene to try and help the schoolboy, but he could not be saved and died at the scene.

Calling the accident “tragic”, Inspector Nick Clark requested parents talk to their children about how they can ensure they are riding safely on e-bikes. "Are your children doing the right thing? Are you giving your child the right advice? Are they riding safely?" Clark said on New Year's Day, as quoted by Sky News Australia.

Jumping castle tragedy

The latest fatal accident comes four years after the teenager miraculously survived a jumping castle tragedy. It took place back in December 2021. Six students had lost their lives, and three were left wounded in the fatal accident.

According to Australian media, he survived the accident after sustaining serious wounds when the castle was thrown into the air from a freak gust of wind at Hillcrest Primary School in the state's north.

Following the accident, Lucas spent weeks in hospital and needed to use a wheelchair after falling from the Taz-Zorb inflatable.

Lucas was one of several children who suffered injuries following a jumping castle being lifted ten metres into the air and thrown across the school's oval. According to reports, the jumping castle operator, Rosemary Anne Gamble, who set up the inflatable, was found not guilty of a health and safety charge in June 2025.

Despite the fact only four pegs were used, magistrate Robert Webster said Ms Gamble's actions "made no difference to the ultimate outcome," Sky News Australia reported. The "mini-tornado" that led to the deadly incident was "unforeseeable", the Tasmanian Magistrates Court heard.