the perils of inflatable rides

Go to any amusement park, street markets, and even birthday parties in the backyard and there\'s a good chance you\'ll find inflatable rides.
They can be fun for your children, but they can also be dangerous.
Consumer Reporter Susan Koeppen noted that more than 5,000 people are injured in inflatable rides each year.
In some cases, the rides have been blown away and the children are thrown nearby.
An expert even told Koeppen that a resilient house is one of the most dangerous rides you can get your child on.
E-
Susan Coppen\'s Twitter page shares the story of Matthew Branham, a typical 5-year-
Old boy killed by one of these rides.
Hot news debate highlights missing student deaths Missouri abortion clinic shot \"mastermind\" to arrest Matthew\'s stepfather, Kelly rujero, who said he was just an ordinary little boy who liked to rudely treat the house.
But there was a terrible accident at an inflatable amusement park in Wichita, Kansas.
End his life.
Matthew and his mother, Sarah rujero, took a car called the Mountain King.
\"Sarah was helping to throw Matthew in the air, and she said the staff showed her how to do it.
Sarah said: \"We thought he would come back as soon as the other kids did.
\"But Matthew did not come down.
Instead, he was on the ground.
First on the concrete floor.
Sarah said: \"I was just pinched by him and I was just praying for God to do miracles because I knew the result was not good.
A few hours later, Matthew died in the hospital.
Koeppen noted that the Consumer Product Safety Board found that between 2003 and 2007, 31,069 people entered the emergency room after injuries to the inflatable rides, and 85% of those injured were children under the age of 15.
She added that experts say accidents are common when jump-throwing athletes of different sizes get together ---
Or when a resilient house blows away
In Florida in January, a 5-year-
The old girl had to be rescued after an inflatable car rushed into the lake.
Koeppen also showed photos of a child dangling over an inflatable barrier after flying into the air at Ohio park.
Inflatable Inspector Mike Triplett said, \"the accident rate of inflatable toys is very high.
Triplett works in New Jersey, one of the few states in the country to regulate inflatable devices.
The rides are often improperly set up and used, he said.
Koeppen and her team checked some inflatable rides in New York City.
She said she found some dangerous situations soon.
Her team found a car crushed by a weighted bucket.
When it comes to the scene, Triplett said, \"the bucket may turn upside down and you don\'t have anything to put the car down at all.
Can fly away;
People may get hurt.
The other car is attached to the fire hydrant.
Triplet said: \"This is absolutely unacceptable.
They must be tied with stakes or sandbags.
\"According to Triplett, another ride was too close to a tree.
In another ride, Triplett found that the blower was in danger because there was a twist in the tube that limited the air in the ride.
In another game in New York City, no operator supervised the jump shots.
\"This is not a safe situation,\" Triplett said.
Sarah Ruggerio said no staff supervised the car while her son Matthew was killed.
\"People do these things every day without realizing the dangers they are going through.
Koeppen added that Matthew\'s parents are making a claim against the local pure entertainment company where Matthew died.
A lawyer at the agency\'s insurance company said the tragedy was under investigation.
Just last week, the city of Wichita suspended a 90-day pure entertainment permit, saying their inflatable rides were not properly inspected.
So what can parents do to keep their children safe?
Koeppen advises parents to check if there are wooden piles and sandbags to tie the car together.
If the wind speed exceeds 15 miles per hour, children should not use them, she said.
Also, there should be mats around the entrance or anywhere the child may fall off.
She added that jumpers should not be under 3 years of age and jumpers should all be in the same size.