A 7-year-old boy underwent open heart surgery after a malfunctioning drone struck him in the chest Saturday night in Orlando, Florida.
Adriana Edgerton was at Lake Eola watching a drone show with her children when the incident occurred, according to WESH in Florida.
“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,” Edgerton said.
“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.”
Harrowing footage shows the moment numerous drones went haywire before smashing into the bewildered crowd below.
So apparently they had to cancel the 2nd drone show at #LakeEolaPark tonight and I wonder if the drones that got knocked out during the 1st show was the cause 😬 #Orlando pic.twitter.com/xxySjbkohy
— MosquitoCoFL Podcast (@MosquitoCoFL) December 22, 2024
The drone struck the boy in the chest so forcibly that it crushed one of his heart valves, Edgerton said.
“The blade cut his mouth, but there’s an actual imprint of the drone on his chest,” she said.
Would you go see a drone show?
The drone malfunction, which occurred during the first of two planned shows that night, prompted the city to cancel the second, according to Click Orlando.
Due to technical difficulties the 8 p.m. Holiday Drone Show at Lake Eola has been canceled. We apologize for any inconvenience.
— City of Orlando (@citybeautiful) December 22, 2024
The FAA is investigating the incident, but so far it is unclear what caused the drones to malfunction.
“Drone arrays and light shows are subject to FAA regulation,” the FAA said, according to WESH.
“Typically, these events require a waiver to the regulation that prohibits operating more than one drone at a time. We thoroughly review each drone show application to make sure the flying public and people on the ground will be safe.”
🚨‼️ Holiday Drone Show Turns Tragic in Orlando
A 7-year-old boy watching a holiday drone show with his family in Orlando was seriously injured Saturday night when one of the drones malfunctioned and struck him in the chest, his mother reported.
⚠️ The Federal Aviation… pic.twitter.com/3Vf0LiJmod
— Kristy Tallman (@KristyTallman) December 23, 2024
A distressed Edgerton later shared a social media update as she waited in the emergency room.
🚨#UPDATE: Here’s a video of the mother of the 7-year-old boy, in tears in a hospital room , as she shares on social media what happened the night her son, now fighting for his life, was injured during the Christmas holiday drone show. pic.twitter.com/lJCEyeCCnI
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) December 23, 2024
On a GoFundMe page, Edgerton said her son would be spending Christmas in the intensive care unit.
Sky Elements Drones, the Texas-based company responsible for the nationwide aerial shows, issued a statement on the incident.
“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 statement read, per Click Orlando. “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.”
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