Disaster struck at a city-sponsored Christmas drone show in Orlando, Florida, when one of the devices fell from the sky, striking a young boy, badly injuring him. The show featured hundreds of drones displaying Christmas lights on Sunday night in Lake Eola Park. According to reports, some of the drones malfunctioned, and one “dive-bombed” the crowd.
Tragically, a 7-year-old boy in attendance was struck by the device, receiving serious injuries. The boy’s parents took to social media asking for prayers as their son was rushed to hospital where he is expected to undergo emergency heart surgery after the incident. “Pray for my son, we went to the Drone show at Lake Eola and one of the drones hit him in the face,” Jessica Lumedge wrote, sharing a picture of the boy in a hospital bed with a blooded lip.
“I have never been so scared. I can’t believe a drone show at Lake Eola Park turned into this. I’m scared terrified for my baby,” mother Adriana Edgerton continued. Further explaining the aftermath of the horrific accident, she said, “My baby is going into emergency heart surgery off of just trying to watch a drone show … I am beyond words beyond terrified! “[The City of Orlando] and Sky Elements Drones really have some explaining to do. They will be held accountable for what was done to my son. I pray he makes it out of this!”
Reportedly, the company responsible for the drone show was Sky Elements Drones based in Texas. Orlando’s public information manaqger, Andrea Otero, said, “We are in contact with the vendor to determine what occurred with the operation. FAA is handling the investigation.” According to a spokesperson for Sky Elements, “We are diligently working with the FAA and City of Orlando officials to determine the cause and are committed to establishing a clear picture of what transpired.”
The company continued, “The well-being of our audience is our utmost priority,” it said, “and we regret any distress or inconvenience caused.” The city of Orlando said in a statement, “Our thoughts are with the family and all those impacted by the outcome of this event. The city remains in contact with the vendor and FAA who will conduct a thorough investigation.”
In promoting the event, the city said in a statement last week, “This show will feature a dazzling display of synchronized drones flying in formation to create beautiful holiday-themed designs in the night sky. Attendees will be able to sit back and watch the 15-minute light show from the comfort of their own blankets and lawn chairs.”
Recounting the horrific accident, Edgerton noted, “Everyone’s natural instinct was to duck and scatter, and before we realized it, my daughter found my son on the floor unconscious. He had blood coming out of his face.” She added, “This should not have happened, and no family should be going through this. We were trying to watch a show and have a good time.”
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Watch footage of the drone catastrophe below:
Note: The featured image is a screenshot from the embedded video.