According to his mother, a 7-year-old who was watching a holiday drone show in Orlando, Florida, suffered severe injuries on Saturday night after one of the gadgets fell and pierced his chest.
One person was admitted to the hospital after “technical difficulties” at the city-hosted, third-annual Holiday Drone Show at Lake Eola Park, according to the Orlando Fire Department.
In a statement released on Sunday, the Federal Aviation Administration, which is looking into the incident, stated that a number of tiny drones crashed during the performance at approximately 6:45 p.m., with some of them falling into the audience.
According to a statement from the department, firefighters hurried to the boy’s rescue while manning a traditional medical tent nearby. There were no other recorded injuries.
According to the FAA, it considers the software that will be used, suggested crowd flow maps to make sure people are safe from the devices, geofencing capabilities that should keep drones within a specific region, and staffing before permitting such an event.
According to the fire department, “technical difficulties” at the 6:30 p.m. display led to the cancellation of the show’s scheduled rerun at 8 p.m.
“This show will feature a dazzling display of synchronized drones flying in formation to create beautiful holiday-themed designs in the night sky,” the city stated in a statement Friday to promote the event. The 15-minute light show will be available for attendees to enjoy while lounging in their lawn chairs and blankets.
Adriana Edgerton told NBC affiliate WESH that her son Alexander had heart surgery because of his drone injuries and that she saw drones go down following the incident.
“Everyone s natural instinct was to duck and scatter, and before we realized it, my daughter found my son on the floor unconscious,” Edgerton stated to WESH. “He had blood coming out of his face.”
The show’s second-year producer was selected by the fire department to be Sky Elements Drones of Coppell, Texas.
The business, which has assisted the NFL, NASCAR, and Major League Baseball in hosting drone light shows, stated, “We are committed to establishing a clear picture of what transpired and are diligently working with the FAA and City of Orlando officials to determine the cause.”
“The well-being of our audience is our utmost priority,” the business stated, “and we regret any distress or inconvenience caused.”
According to Edgerton, such public gatherings shouldn’t be the scene of accidents like her son’s.
“This should not have happened, and no family should be going through this,” she stated to WESH. “We were trying to watch a show and have a good time.”
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