A child in the UK has been seriously injured after an inflatable Zorb ‘unexpectedly’ flew into the sky.

Shocking footage captured the moment when a boy inside the ball on a lake was hurled into the air at Southport Food and Drink Festival.

Merseyside Police say the boy was in the inflatable ball on a lake when he was ‘unexpectedly raised into the air before it landed on the grass'.

ITV reported that the incident occurred around 2pm before the boy was transferred to hospital.

Zorb Ball"..serious but stable condition." pic.twitter.com/Ue4flBHRcK

He has remained there since as he recovers from serious injuries.

According to the outlet, another boy was raised similarly into the air; but was unharmed.

Police are investigating the incident and suspect a gust of wind raised the child into the sky.

Sefton Council confirmed the incident had happened, adding that the event remained open following ‘a full health and safety inspection'.

It added: “Our thoughts are with those involved in the accident and we wish them a full recovery.”

A North West Ambulance Service spokesperson also said: "We were called at 1.56pm today. We did attend with an ambulance, a senior clinician and an air ambulance.

"A patient has been airlifted to hospital with multiple serious injuries. They arrived at the hospital around 3pm."

In 2011, the US Government warned people to stay out of Zorb balls, especially ones on the water, due to the risk of suffocation and drowning.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC) said it ‘does not know of any safe way’ to use these inflatable balls.

“CPSC has informed state amusement ride officials of the risks associated with this product and encourages state officials not to permit this ride in their state. CPSC does not know of any safe way to use this product,” a statementread.

CSPC chairman Inez Tenenbaum added, as per The Guardian:"We want to tell the public how dangerous these products are before someone is killed."

"Our investigation into water walking balls will not stop with today's warning."

The organization also said that a puncture could cause water to seep inside.

It added that due to there being no emergency exit, it increases the risk of suffocationand drowning.

In its statement, CSPC noted a five-year-old girl in Kingston, Massachusetts, who briefly passed out inside a Zorb.

Another boy was reported to have broke his arm after the ball that was placed into a shallow above-ground pool flew into the air before being smacked down onto a hard surface.