7-Year-Old Was Hit By a Falling Drone and Taken Into Open-Heart Surgery

The Federal Aviation Administration has placed numerous restrictions on Texas-based drone company Sky Elements after a 7-year-old boy was injured at one of their airshows.

He was struck by at least one drone at the event and taken into open-heart surgery.

The Holiday Drone Show, held at Lake Eola Park, took place on December 21 at 6:30 pm. This was the third consecutive year of operation, with the event consistently drawing in crowds upwards of 25,000 people. The 13-minute themed presentation has been organized and run by Sky Elements for the last two years.

At around 6:48, the Orlando Fire Department was called to the scene under reports of an injured individual. Emergency personnel were on standby at a tent approximately 50 feet from the crowd and were able to assist until help arrived.

The seven-year-old injured is allegedly the son of Adriana Edgerton. She stated that he was hit in the chest and head by the drones, with one of the propellers cutting his face. Edgerton also claimed that he was taken into open-heart surgery the day after the incident.

“We were really excited to hear that they were having a drone show at Lake Eola,” the boy’s mother stated. “The light shows going on, and all of a sudden, one of the drones just lost it. Looked like a bird that was diving for fish.”

The FAA has now suspended Sky Elements’s Part 107 Waiver, which ostensibly allows operators to fly at night, over people, and outside the line of sight. This prevents the company from performing its airshows until further notice.

Sky Elements has an extensive history in the industry, having hosted several synchronized drone shows and even appearing on “America’s Got Talent.” It will now remain under NTSB investigation to determine the cause and extent of the December 21 incident.

FMI: www.skyelementsdrones.com