What was supposed to be a night of Christmas celebration ended in heartbreak for a family in Orlando, Florida. During a synchronized drone show in Lake Eola Park Last Saturday, December 21, several of these devices fell on the crowd, seriously injuring Alexandera 7 year old boy. According to his mother through social networks, the minor received a strong impact on the chest that caused severe injuries, leading him to undergo open heart surgery.
Adriana Edgertonthe child’s mother, said that the family was enjoying the show when a drone fell on her son, leaving him unconscious. “My daughter found my son on the ground, with blood coming out of his face.“, he explained to WESH2affiliate of NBC. Edgerton described how the drone left a visible mark on Alexander’s chest and one of the propellers cut his mouth.
He Orlando Fire Department confirmed that one person was taken to hospital for injuries after the accident, according to statements collected by various media. It was later found out that it was Alexander. The mother added that the force of the impact was such that it damaged a valve in her heart, a complication that required immediate surgery, according to Adriana in an interview with several media outlets.
The event was part of the Holiday Drone Showa holiday light show put on by the city of Orlando, in which synchronized drones formed themed figures in the night sky. According to the city council’s website, the show had two functions scheduled: one at 6:30 pm and another at 8:00 pm The incident occurred during the first presentation, and as a result, the Orlando City Council canceled the second performance quoting technical problems in a post on Facebook.
Videos shared by attendees showed drones falling into the lake and over areas where the public was on chairs and blankets. In one of the recordings obtained by WKMGaffiliate of CNNa child is heard asking: “Are they supposed to fall?”.
The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) confirmed that it has launched a formal investigation. “Several small drones collided and fell into crowd during Christmas show over Lake Eola”stated the FAA. The agency will evaluate the conditions under which the show was held and review the software, spectator flow maps and geolocation measures used to prevent drones from leaving the delimited area, it reported in a statement.
The show was operated by Sky Elements Dronesa Texas-based company, contracted for the second consecutive year by the city of Orlando for this event. In a statement released by FOX 35the company expressed its solidarity with Alexander’s family and reiterated its commitment to the safety of the public. “The safety of our audience is our priority, and we regret any distress or inconvenience caused.”the company stated.
Sky Elements added that they are actively collaborating with the FAA and local authorities to clarify what happened. “Millions of people watch our shows annually, and we are committed to complying with the strictest safety regulations established by the FAA.”.
Drone experts, such as Dr. Vivek Sharmaof the Florida Institute of Technologysuggest that the accident could have been caused by GPS interference, programming errors or accidental collisions between drones. As explained to FOX 35these shows usually depend on GPS to keep drones synchronized and any interruption can cause devices to lose control and crash.
The reactions were immediate. “This should not have happened, no family should go through something like this.”Edgerton expressed to WESH2. The mother called for strengthening security measures at public events of this type. He Orlando City Hall He indicated that paramedics were just over 15 meters from the scene of the incident and responded immediately. “Our thoughts are with the family and those affected by this event.”, stated the authorities.
