A 7-year-old boy, Alexander, is recovering after undergoing emergency heart surgery following an accident at a drone light show in Orlando on Saturday night (December 21). According to his parents, Adriana Edgerton and Jessica Lumsden, a drone struck Alexander in the chest, knocking him unconscious and causing serious injuries.
The family was watching a drone show at Lake Eola when several drones fell from the sky, one of which struck Alexander. “Before we knew it, my daughter found my son on the ground unconscious. Blood was pouring down his face,” the mother told WISH News.
The Orlando Fire Department confirmed that one person was injured during the event and was taken to the hospital. It was later confirmed that the injured person was Alexander. His mother described how the drone struck her son so hard that it damaged his heart valve. “The blade cut his mouth open, but there was an actual drone footprint on his chest,” she said.
Alexander was immediately taken to the hospital, where he underwent hours of open-heart surgery. His parents are calling for increased safety precautions at large public events to prevent similar incidents in the future. “This should not have happened, and no family should have to go through this. We were just trying to watch a show and have a good time,” Edgerton said.
In a Facebook post, Edgerton shared a photo of her son, writing: “God be with me! My child is going to have emergency heart surgery after trying to watch a drone show at Lake Eola Park! I am beyond terrified! City of Orlando — The government and Sky Elements Drones have some explaining to do. They will be held accountable for what they did to my son. I pray he gets out of this!
In response to the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has opened an investigation into the drone crash. FAA regulations govern drone arrays and light shows, and such events typically require a waiver to operate more than one drone at a time. The FAA said: “We carefully review every drone display request to ensure that the flying public and those on the ground will be safe.”
It is not yet clear what caused the drones to collide and hit the crowd. The FAA’s investigation is ongoing.
