Boy, 7, Injured After Drones Fall into Holiday Show Crowd (Video)

A holiday drone show in Orlando, Florida, took a terrifying turn over the weekend when several drones collided mid-air, plummeting into the crowd and injuring a 7-year-old boy who was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery.

The incident occurred Saturday evening at Lake Eola Park, where footage shared on social media captured drones crashing and falling as onlookers screamed, “Watch out! Watch out!”

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed to News 6 WKMG that “several small drones collided and fell into a crowd” and stated it is investigating the mishap. Meanwhile, the Orlando Fire Department reported that one person, later identified as the young boy, was taken to the hospital with injuries initially described as minor.

The boy’s family, however, revealed the severity of his injuries. On Facebook, Jessica Lumedge, one of the boy’s mothers, shared that a drone struck her son in the chest. A photo accompanying her post showed the child with a busted lip, lying in a hospital bed.

The boy’s other mother, Adriana Edgerton, later posted that he required emergency heart surgery following the impact.

“God please be with me! My baby is going into emergency heart surgery off of just trying to watch a drone show at Lake Eola Park! I am beyond words, beyond terrified,” Edgerton wrote. She also vowed to hold the city and Sky Elements Drones accountable for the incident.

The chaotic scene prompted the cancellation of a second drone show, which the city attributed to “technical difficulties.”

Other attendees took to Facebook to describe the frightening experience. One user wrote:

“At the very start of the show, drones were released and all of a sudden they started falling from the sky. One zoomed right past a tree we were leaning on and hit a child behind us. It hit him in the face, knocking him backward onto the pavement. It was the scariest, freakish accident.”

The family has called for answers from the City of Orlando and Sky Elements Drones, the company responsible for the show. As investigations unfold, questions remain about what caused the technical failure and how safety measures could have prevented such a dangerous outcome.