Holiday drone shows have become something of a tradition this time of the year. However, a show in Orlando, Florida, on Saturday, Dec. 21, did not go as planned, leaving at least one person injured.
According to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration provided to Straight Arrow News, the incident occurred around 6:45 p.m. Saturday.
“Several small drones collided and fell into a crowd during a holiday drone show over Eloa Lake in Orlando, Florida,” the FAA said in a statement.
The FAA said it’s investigating the incident.
The city of Orlando and the Orlando Fire Department told SAN one person was injured. They said paramedics rendered aid on-site before taking the individual to the hospital.
Multiple reports said the injured spectator was a 7-year-old boy who was struck in the chest by one of the falling drones.
According to the boy’s mother, doctors had to perform open-heart surgery to repair one of his heart valves after the incident.
The city said Orlando police detectives met the victim’s family at the hospital and are assisting the FAA in its investigation.
According to the FAA, “Drone arrays and light shows are subject to FAA regulation.”
The FAA said 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,” the FAA said.
The city of Orlando said the holiday drone show was a permitted event through the FAA. City officials said the event drew approximately 25,000 people for the third year in a row.
According to the city, this is the second year the city used the vendor Sky Elements to operate the drones.
In a statement of its own, Sky Elements told Straight Arrow News, “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.”
Following Saturday’s incident, the city of Orlando canceled a second holiday show planned for later that night.
The incident in Florida comes as drone sightings across the East Coast have led to questions from lawmakers and residents. Last week, the FAA issued a temporary ban on drones across several cities in New Jersey and New York.
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