A seven-year-old boy was left seriously injured after drones fell out of the sky during an aerial Christmas show this weekend.
The child was left seriously injured during a holiday drone show in Lake Eola Park in Orlando, Florida on Saturday night.
During the family-friendly show, which was attended by around 25,000 people, several drones crashed into each other and fell into the crowd at around 6.45 P.M.
Footage shows multiple drones colliding out of control and falling into the lake and on land, where viewers were seen sitting on lawn chairs and picnic blankets.
Another TikTok video also reveals the moment one of the drones flew toward spectators, as someone shouts “Watch out, watch out!” before the clip abruptly ends.
@carlitosadd Drone Show accident!!! #droneshow #lakeeola #accident #downtownorlando #christmasshow #trending #viral #viralvideo #cityoforlando #scary ♬ original sound – Ivy LopezA seven-year-old spectator at the show was hit by one of the falling drones, when one of the devices went down and struck him in the chest.
Fire personnel were already at Lake Eola Park in an emergency tent set up about 50 feet from where a drone struck the child.
Following the incident, paramedics quickly reached the injured boy and administered first aid. The boy was taken to a hospital, according to a spokesperson for the Orlando Fire Department.
According to PEOPLE, the child’s parents say that the boy was “fighting for his life in ER” and having to undergo “emergency heart surgery” due to his injuries.
The incident occurred during one of two free holiday drone shows that had been scheduled for Saturday night. Following the incident, the city canceled the second show due to what it described as “technical difficulties.”
Detectives with the Orlando Police Department will now aid the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in an investigation regarding the drone collision.
The Christmas drone show was reportedly permitted through the FAA, according to a report in ABC News. Typically, such events require a waiver of a 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 FAA says in a statement.
The company putting on the drone show was identified by the city of Orlando as Sky Elements Drones of North Richland Hills, Texas.
“The well-being of our audience is our utmost priority, and we regret any distress or inconvenience caused,” Sky Elements Drones says in a statement.
“We are diligently working with the FAA and City of Orlando officials to determine the cause and are committed to establishing a clear picture of what transpired.
“Millions of people see our shows annually, and we are committed to maintaining the highest safety regulations set forth by the FAA.”
The incident comes amid ongoing mysterious drone sightings over New Jersey and other parts of the eastern U.S.
Last week, the FAA issued a month-long ban on flying drones in parts of New Jersey and New York state following the spate of sightings.