Drones are becoming increasingly common in everyday life.
This new technology has a dark side that is overlooked.
And a Florida family faced their worst nightmare after this scary drone incident.
Florida boy hospitalized after drone holiday light show goes terribly wrong
A Florida family went to see a holiday drone light show at Lake Eola Park in Orlando, Florida.
The drones lit up the night sky for Christmas and moved in unison to create Santa Claus, presents, swans, and other shapes for an estimated crowd of 25,000 people.
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
A video captured malfunctioning drones falling from the sky above a crowd of onlookers.
“Oh no! I don’t believe they’re supposed to be falling,” a man shouted.
A 7-year-old boy was hit by one of the falling drones and transported to a local hospital after he was treated by paramedics.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had signed off the show according to city officials.
Drone shows require a waiver from the FAA to allow the operation of multiple drones at once.
Sky Elements Drones operated the holiday show for the second year in a row for Orlando.
The company has done drone light shows for the NFL, MLB and NASCAR.
“The well-being of our audience is our utmost priority, and we regret any distress or inconvenience caused,” Sky Elements Drones said in a statement. “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.”
Boy undergoes surgery after being struck by falling drone
The mother of the injured 7-year-old boy, Adriana Edgerton, told WESH that her family was watching the show when drones suddenly began falling from the sky.
One of the drones landed directly on her son and injured one of the valves in his heart.
“Everyone’s natural instinct was to duck and scatter, and before we realized it, my daughter found my son on the floor unconscious,” Edgerton recalled. “He had blood coming out of his face.”
The boy had to undergo open heart surgery to repair the valve in his chest.
“The blade cut his mouth, but there’s an actual imprint of the drone on his chest,” Edgerton added.
Orlando’s drone catastrophe meant that the Edgertons had to spend their Christmas in the hospital with their son.
“This should not happen,” Edgerton stated. “No family should be going through this off of trying to watch a show and have a good time.”
The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA announced that they would launch investigations into the drone show.
Austin, Texas announced that it was canceling its New Year’s Eve show with Sky Elements Drones after the accident.
“The drone show is canceled,” Austin spokeswoman Maggie Holman said. “The rest of Austin’s New Year event will continue as planned.”
Drones are overwhelmingly produced in China and this emerging technology still has many risks.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this story.
