Several people, including a 7-year-old boy, were injured after a drone collided in mid-air and fell at high speed onto the crowd at a Christmas show in Florida, United States. The mothers of a young boy who was allegedly attacked in the face by a rogue drone said he was clinging to life.
According to a report in the New York Post, the boy was taken to the hospital and was “fighting for his life in the ER”.
Video of the holiday display gone wrong was posted online by Started falling.
So apparently they had to cancel the second drone show #LakeEolaPark Tonight and I wonder if the drones destroyed during the first show were the cause? #orlando pic.twitter.com/xxySjbkohy
– MosquitoCOFL Podcast (@MosquitoCOFL) 22 December 2024
In the background, a man can be heard saying, “Oh no! I can’t believe they’re falling.” In the lake below, geese can be seen flapping their wings as they try to escape the chaotic scene.
The show was run by Sky Elements Drones in partnership with the City of Orlando. Andrea Otero, the city’s public information manager, told People magazine, “We are in contact with the vendor to determine what happened with the operation. The FAA is handling the investigation.”
According to a report by Fox News, the holiday drone show was permitted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
“Multiple small drones collided and fell into a crowd during a holiday drone show over Lake (Eola) in Orlando, Florida,” the FAA said, Fox News reports.
Drone arrays and light shows are subject to FAA regulations and generally require a waiver of the regulation that prohibits operating more than one drone at a time.
The incident reportedly occurred around 6:45 pm local time on Saturday, December 21, after which the second show, scheduled at 8 pm that night, was also canceled due to “technical difficulties”.
