ORLANDO, Fla. – A 7-year-old boy was injured Saturday night when drones collided and fell into the crowd during a downtown Orlando holiday show, according to the boy’s mother.
The Federal Aviation Administration said several drones fell into the crowd, which the city said was made up of 25,000 people. In a statement on Sunday, city officials said someone was injured during the show and nearby paramedics rendered aid but did not specify the person’s age or what the extent of the injuries were.
Adriana Edgerton told News 6 her son, Alezander, was hit in the stomach by one of the drones and was taken to the hospital. The boy had to have emergency surgery after doctors told his mother the drone shocked his heart, she told News 6.
[RELATED: Video shows drones fall from Orlando sky at Lake Eola holiday show into crowd]
The show was part of the city’s Downtown for the Holidays, free holiday events throughout December in downtown. Originally, there were two scheduled 15-minute shows for the evening. The incident happened during the first show, which continued through the scheduled time despite the drones falling. The second show, which was scheduled to begin at 8 p.m., was canceled after what city officials said were “technical difficulties.”
“In order to avoid other issues, they could have landed all the drones and canceled the show. I don’t know why they continued flying the drones,” Drone Training School CEO James Tobon said after News 6 showed him video from the show.
He said there could have been several reasons why the drones fell, including signal interference.
The vendor, identified as Sky Elements Drones, also released a statement on Sunday that said they are working with the FAA and city of Orlando officials to “determine the cause and are committed to establishing a clear picture of what transpired.”
Sky Elements Drones wants to extend our sincere hope for a full and speedy recovery to those impacted at our Lake Eola show in Orlando on Saturday, Dec. 21. The well-being of our audience is our utmost priority, and we regret any distress or inconvenience caused.
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. Millions of people see our shows annually, and we are committed to maintaining the highest safety regulations set forth by the FAA.
[RELATED: FAA investigating after drones collide, fall into crowd during downtown Orlando holiday show]
The FAA said drone shows typically require waivers from the agency to allow the operation of more than one drone at a time. When reviewing applications, the FAA said it checks the following:
- The software controlling the drones
- Procedures on setting up safe and restricted areas to keep people a safe distance from the show
- Procedures in the event a single or multiple drones fail
- Procedures if an aircraft gets too close to the show
- How the operator keeps the drones within a confined area using GeoFencing
- Whether the operator has an adequate number of people to run the show
News 6 asked the FAA if a waiver had been filed for Saturday’s show. The agency did not confirm whether one was filed and only said it is investigating.
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