A 7-year-old boy was injured after six drones abruptly dropped from the sky during a concert in Florida on Saturday night, according to CNN affiliate reports.
Hundreds of lit-up drones fly in synchrony in Orlando’s Lake Eola Park, forming Christmas-themed patterns such as swans, doves, Santa Claus, and presents, according to videos posted by event attendees.
A few minutes into the event, some systems began to fall to the ground.
One of the falling drones struck a youngster, who was taken to an area hospital, according to CNN affiliate WESH, citing confirmation from the Orlando Fire Department.
A representative for the Orlando Fire Department confirmed in an email to CNN on Monday that one person was taken to the hospital.
WESH reports that the 7-year-old youngster had open heart surgery. Adriana Edgerton, the boy’s mother, told the site that he was hit in the chest.
“Everyone’s natural instinct was to duck and scatter, and before we knew it, my daughter discovered my son unconscious on the floor.” “He had blood coming out of his face,” Edgerton explained.
Edgerton told WESH that her son’s heart valve was damaged as a result of the impact.
“The blade cut his mouth, but there’s an actual imprint of the drone on his chest,” she told me.
The boy’s family created a GoFundMe campaign, which has raised almost $6,000.
“My baby is going into emergency heart surgery,” the GoFundMe page stated. “Our family visited the drone exhibition in Lake Eola on December 21.
One of the drones hit my son in the chest, and our family would be grateful for any help for Alezander. He is currently in the hospital. I’ll be missing work throughout this time, and he’ll be spending Christmas in the ICU.”
The drone performance was organized by Sky Elements Drones, a Texas-based company that claims on its website to “deliver captivating drone light shows that immerse audiences and skyrocket brand awareness.”
Officials stated that this was the city of Orlando’s second deal with Sky Elements Drones.
The city of Austin had planned to include a drone display by Sky Elements in its New Year’s celebration on December 31, but a representative indicated Monday that plans had changed.
“The drone show is canceled,” said Maggie Holman, a spokeswoman for the city of Austin, in an email to CNN. “The rest of Austin’s New Year event will continue as planned.”
Sky Elements told CNN that it “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,” according to a statement.
“We are working together with the FAA and City of Orlando officials to determine the cause and are dedicated to providing a clear picture of what happened. Every year, millions of people attend our concerts, and we are dedicated to adhering to the FAA’s strictest safety standards.”
‘Are they supposed to be falling?’
Multiple drones collide out of control, landing in the lake and on land, where watchers can be seen lounging on lawn chairs and picnic blankets.
In a video obtained by CNN affiliate WKMG, one child can be heard wondering, “Are they supposed to be falling?”
According to the event description, there will be two 15-minute drone performances: one at 6:30 p.m. and another at 8 p.m.
The incident happened during the first show.
The Federal Aviation Administration announced Monday that it would investigate the incident.
“Several small drones collided and fell into a crowd during a holiday drone show over (Eola) Lake in Orlando, Florida,” the report claimed. “The incident occurred around 6:45 p.m. local time on Saturday, December 21.”
According to CNN affiliates, Orlando municipal officials issued a statement on Sunday saying, “Our thoughts are with the family and those impacted by the outcome of this event.”
They reported that paramedics were stationed 50 feet away from the location of the incident and provided help “as soon as they made contact with the individual.”
The National Transportation Safety Board announced on Monday that it has “opened an investigation into an accident involving unmanned aircraft systems that malfunctioned and (struck) individuals at a holiday show in Orlando, Florida” in a post on X.
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