A freak 'dust devil' weather phenomena was captured on film in the UK after a boy in a zorb was 'thrown 15m into sky', witnesses claimed.
The nine-year-old was rushed to hospital after the apparent freak accident which witnesses attributed to a sudden and dramatic gust of wind on Sunday. The incident happened at the Southport Food and Drink Festival, and saw the zorb blown into the air before crashing down.
An air ambulance was called to assist the boy, while staff reacted by holding down the other zorbs which also had children inside at the packed event. The attractions were set up as part of the offering at the annual festival on Victoria Park.
Footage of - what some called - a "mini tornado" was shared on social media after the incident and is widely considered to show a 'dust devil' - also known as a 'willy willy'.
According to the Met Office, the phenomena is an "upward spiralling, dust filled vortex of air that may vary in height from a few feet to over 1,000".
They are usually several metres in diameter at the base, then narrowing for a short distance before expanding again, reports LancsLive.
Witnesses at the Southport Food and Drink Festival said it was a "freak weather phenomena" which saw the boy catapulted 20ft in the air.
The company behind the zorb ball attraction said they wished the boy a "rapid recovery" and they're currently assisting with multi-agency investigations over this "terrible freak incident"
Many people have commented on the video describing the weather phenomenon as a 'dust devil'; a strong, well-formed and relatively short-lived whirlwind. They often form as a swirling updraft under sunny conditions during fair weather.
Paul Holmes said he was there at the time and rushed to help the boy. The 43-year-old from Southport, told the Liverpool Echo: "In my peripheral vision I saw two of the zorb balls go up into the sky and I just screamed at the top of my voice 'there's a kid in one of those balls, someone catch him.' The minute I shouted 'there's a boy in the sky' the staff at the inflatable place were quick to get all of the kids out of the remaining balls in the pit.
"I don't know if the parents jumped in or just the staff but they were quick taking them out of the remaining balls. One of the zorb balls didn't go that high and landed.
"The main zorb of concern I would say was probably 15 to 20 metres in the sky, easily. The wind just whipped it up into the sky. It was like a bit of a freak weather phenomena."
Merseyside Police have since confirmed the boy remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition.
A spokesperson for Sefton Council said: "We can confirm that an Air Ambulance was called to Victoria Park, Southport this afternoon (Sunday, June 4) following an accident within the grounds.
"First aid responders from St Johns Ambulance reacted quickly to provide assistance to the person involved prior to the arrival of other emergency services. Following the incident a full health and safety inspection has been undertaken at the Southport Food and Drink Festival and the event remains open to the public. Our thoughts are with those involved in the accident and we wish them a full recovery."
