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A different sort of drone mayhem set Floridians running at a Christmas event that sent one boy to the hospital.

(Video Credit: Fox 35)

Mystery may still surround the ongoing appearance of unidentified aircraft across the country, but the source of a chaotic scene was readily apparent for spectators at the City of Orlando’s Christmas show Saturday night. A dazzling display above Lake Eola Park soon had people ducking for cover with at least one reported injury leading to a child’s “emergency heart surgery.”

With numerous Guinness World Records and displays put on for professional sports teams, Sky Elements Drones was hired to put on two shows Saturday with the second getting called off as a number of drones began falling from the sky or veering wildly off course during the first event.

Among the spectators, Jessica Lumedge and Adriana Edgerton reported that their seven-year-old son Alezander had been struck by a drone, leaving him hospitalized with blood on his lip and undergoing surgery.

“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,” wrote Lumedge on Facebook with a picture of the injured boy.

Edgerton went on to add, “I have never been so scared. I can’t believe a drone show at [Lake Eola Park] turned into this. I’m scared terrified for my baby,” before later indicating, “My baby is going into emergency heart surgery off of just trying to watch a drone show…I am beyond words, beyond terrified!”

A spokesperson for the Orlando Fire Department had initially confirmed that a person had been taken to the hospital with a minor injury as the city released a statement notifying the public that the planned second show had been canceled.

Sunday, the city issued a broader statement detailing close contact with the vendor and the Federal Aviation Administration after “technical difficulties” had resulted in injury.

“At approximately 6:48 p.m. OFD was alerted to an individual reported to be injured during the show. Fire personnel were already at the park, staffing an emergency tent that was approximately 50 feet away from the scene of the incident. Paramedics began to render aid as soon as they made contact with the individual,” read the statement in part. “The Holiday Drone Show was a permitted event through the FAA. It was in its third year drawing crowds of approximately 25,000. This is the second year using the vendor, Sky Elements to operate the drones.”

According to the FAA, “these events require a waiver to the 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.”

In their own statement, the vendor expressed, “Sky Elements Drones wants to extend our sincere hope for a full and speedy recovery to those impacted at our Lake Eola show in Orlando on Saturday, Dec. 21. The well-being of our audience is our utmost priority, and we regret any distress or inconvenience caused.”

“[The City of Orlando] and Sky Elements Drones really have some explaining to do,” Edgerton went on to assert. “They will be held accountable for what was done to my son. I pray he makes it out of this!”

A crowdfunding page had been created for the child that, at the time of this post, had reached nearly $6,000 toward a $20,000 goal.

Kevin Haggerty
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