A terrifying video showed drones from a Christmas light show falling out of the sky, and one of them hit a young boy, leaving him seriously injured. The incident, which took place during a holiday event in Florida, has left the community in shock.
The incident happened during a Christmas light show in Orlando
Seven-year-old Alexander Edgerton was rushed to the hospital for heart surgery after being struck by a falling drone during the Lake Eola Park show in Orlando, Florida, on Saturday evening.
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The FAA is now looking into what caused the accident
The event, sponsored by the city of Orlando, saw “several small drones collide and fall into the crowd,” according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), who is investigating the incident.
The second light show was canceled after the drones fell
There was supposed to be a second 15-minute show scheduled for 8pm, but it got canceled after the city said there were “technical difficulties” with the drones.
Adriana Edgerton described how she saw her son get hurt
Adriana Edgerton, Alexander’s mom, said her family was watching the show when Alexander got hit in the chest and on the lip. “Everyone’s natural instinct was to duck and scatter, and right when we knew it, my daughter found my son on the floor unconscious, blood coming out of his face,” Edgerton told WESH.
Alexander will spend Christmas in the hospital
She added, “I feel so bad, it’s three days before Christmas,” and mentioned that Alexander has been in the hospital ever since the incident.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with medical bills
The family set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for Alexander’s medical care. As of early Monday, they had raised $615 towards their $20,000 goal.
Adriana Edgerton called out the city and drone company
On Facebook, Adriana called out both the Orlando city government and the company behind the show, Sky Elements Drones. “City of Orlando Government and Sky Elements Drones really have some explaining to do. They will be held accountable for what was done to my son. I pray he makes it out of this!” she wrote.
Sky Elements Drones expresses regret and promises to investigate
Sky Elements Drones released a statement to CNN on Sunday saying they’re working with the FAA and the city to find out what happened. “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,” the statement began.
The FAA makes sure safety rules are followed for drone shows
The FAA explained that drone light shows are tightly regulated. “Typically, 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 federal agency said.
People on social media shared videos of the drones falling
Many people posted videos online of what was meant to be a fun holiday event, but turned into a nightmare. Philippe, who was there with his son, took out his phone when he saw the drones falling from the sky. In the video, you can hear a child asking, “Are they supposed to be falling?”
We’ll definitely be keeping an eye on this story as it unfolds, and we’re wishing Alexander a speedy recovery. Let’s hope future shows have better safety measures.
