Ring cam captures shocking moment man attacked by trampoline

A Northern Irish man’s unexpected encounter with a trampoline has been caught on camera after a storm sent it hurtling towards him, knocking him to the ground.

Jonathan O’Neill, an installation engineer from Cookstown, was startled awake by the raging storm and decided to venture outside to secure his garden. Wearing a beanie hat and gloves, the 44-year-old began readjusting his bins against a wall before turning his attention to the trampoline. Just as he approached, a sudden gust of wind lifted it into the air and blasted it straight into him.

Ring security camera footage captured the dramatic moment as O’Neill was knocked off his feet and left sprawled on the patio. Recalling the incident, he said: “I wasn’t hurt, I was just lying there embarrassed wondering had anyone seen it.”

Trampolines can cause serious damage if not secured during high winds and storms. They can start to move in wind speeds of 20-25 mph and become potentially dangerous at 40 mph.

It is important to use heavy-duty steel anchors and straps to secure trampolines in bad weather, or even consider dismantling the trampoline and leaving it in a secure area if there is time.

The video also shows the moment O’Neill eventually pulled himself up and smiled towards the camera after realizing the entire episode had been recorded.

“My wife saw the footage and was in stitches laughing, then it got shared around a bit on WhatsApp where everyone seems to have had a good laugh,” O’Neill said.

Storm Darragh, the fourth named storm of the 2023/2024 season, hit the U.K. from December 6 to 7, 2024, causing widespread disruption.

With gusts reaching up to 90 mph in some areas, the storm led to power outages, uprooted trees and travel disruptions across the country.

Despite the embarrassing moment, and some damage to the trampoline, O’Neill said he was optimistic it would be fine to use when the weather improves. “The net poles were broken so I have to buy new ones at some stage,” he said.

This isn’t the first time a home security camera has captured something unexpected. Last year, a family checked their doorbell camera to see an unexpected guest—a rare glimpse of a young woodpecker.

Another series of Ring doorbell camera videos captured a couple’s journey to love as Brynn and Megan, 26 and 30, were caught on camera from the moment they had a crush on each other to dating.

“Ring low-key writes history books,” said the couple when they shared the video on TikTok.