Nineteen fifth-grade students were injured when an inflatable slide flipped over Friday afternoon at a Troup County elementary school.
The 24-foot tall slide was in the gymnasium at Rosemont Elementary, near LaGrange, when the accident happened around 12:30 p.m., according to Deputy Stewart Smith with the Troup County Sheriff’s Office.
“Something happened and the slide either tipped over or collapsed,” Smith told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
When the slide fell, students at the top were sent tumbling to the gym floor, Smith said.
Two students were airlifted to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston and five were transported by ambulance to West Georgia Medical Center, Smith said. Other children were treated at the scene, according to police.
By later Friday afternoon, all of the students had been released from the two hospitals.
The students were participating in an Accelerated Reader celebration when the accident occurred, school system spokeswoman Tina Duckett said. School employees immediately called 911, she said.
Investigators and school leaders have not determined what caused the slide to flip.
“We care about our children. They are our priority, and we are deeply saddened by this unfortunate accident,” Troup Superintendent Cole Pugh said in an emailed statement. “We will continue to work closely with law enforcement officials to determine the cause. Please keep our children, families, and school staff in your thoughts as we recover from this incident.”
LaGrange is located about 70 miles southwest of Atlanta.
About the Author
