A 7-year-old boy was injured during a cascade of falling drones at an aerial show Saturday night in Orlando, Fla.
Videos posted online showed numerous drones plummeting from the sky over Lake Eola Park in the central Florida city. Local officials canceled a planned second show after the malfunctions, blaming “technical difficulties,” local CBS affiliate WKMG reported.
Though many of the drones were seen falling into the lake or harmlessly onto the ground, at least one struck a 7-year-old boy, according to local Fox affiliate WOFL. The boy’s family posted on Facebook about the injuries.
“Pray for my son, we went to the drone show at Lake Eola and one of the drones hit him in his chest, he is awaiting surgery,” Jessica Lumedge wrote in a post. Another post said the boy underwent emergency heart surgery at a local hospital.
Though social media videos claimed there were “multiple injuries,” the local fire department only mentioned the 7-year-old boy, according to WOFL.
The Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the incident.
“We are in contact with the vendor to determine what occurred with the operation,” Orlando public information manager Andrea Otero told People magazine. “FAA is handling the investigation.”
The chaotic drone incident follows a series of drone sightings and a public outcry across the tristate area. The numerous reports have sparked action from local, state and federal politicians.
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