A 7-year-old Florida boy is spending his holiday at the hospital after he underwent open heart surgery for an injury he sustained involving a drone while attending a recent light show in Orlando.
Videos by Suggest
According to local media outlet WESH 2 News, the accident happened at a weekend holiday light show at Lake Eola when multiple drones fell into the audience. The Orlando Fire Department confirmed that one person was injured during the event and was rushed to a nearby hospital.
The injured person was identified as 7-year-old Alexander Edgerton. His mother, Adriana, confirmed the news.
Ariana stated that Alexander underwent open-heart surgery after he was hit in the chest by a drone during the holiday show. She explained that her family was watching the show when multiple drones fell from the sky. One of them hitting her son.
“Everyone’s natural instinct was to duck and scatter,” Adriana explained. “And before we realized it, my daughter found my son on the floor unconscious. He had blood coming out of his face.”
Adriana said her son underwent hours of open-heart surgery after the malfunctioned drone struck him in the chest with such force that it damaged one of his heart valves.
“The blade cut his mouth, but there’s an actual imprint of the drone on his chest,” Adriana claimed.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has opened an investigation into the situation. It was noted that drone arrays and light shows are subject to FAA regulation.
“Typically, these events require a waiver to the regulation that prohibits operating more than one drone at a time.,” the agency explained. “We thoroughly review each drone show application to make sure the flying public and people on the ground will be safe.”
The Boy’s Mother Asks For More Safety Precaution Following Drone Injury at Holiday Light Show
Ariana continued to speak out about her son’s injury. She stated she believes more safety precautions are needed for large-scale drone events in Orlando.
“This should not have happened, and no family should be going through this,” Ariana stated. “We were trying to watch a show and have a good time.”
Meanwhile, Sky Elemnets, the Texas-based company that performs the drone show, released a statement about what happened.
“Sky Elements Drones wants to extend our sincere hope for a full and speedy recovery for those impacted at our Lake Eola show,” the company shared. It also pointed out that it remains committed to upholding the highest safety standards during the drone holiday shows.
The city of Orlando also released a statement about the injuries Alexander sustained during the event.
“Our thoughts are with the family and all those impacted by the outcome of this event,” Orlando officials wrote. “The city remains in contact with the vendor and the FAA, who will conduct a thorough investigation.”