Drones drop from sky during Florida holiday show, sending 7-year-old boy to hospital

A holiday light show in Orlando, Florida went awry over the weekend when lit-up drones began dropping out of the sky.

"Are they supposed to be falling?" a child asks in footage caught by a spectator at Lake Eola Park. (See video below, posted by Mike Sington.)

One of the drones hit a 7-year-old boy, who was rushed to the hospital. "Everyone's natural instinct was to duck and scatter, and before we realized it, my daughter found my son on the floor unconscious," his mother said, via WFLA. "He had blood coming out of his face."

The boy reportedly underwent open heart surgery, and his status is unclear.

The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that drone shows are "subject to FAA regulation," and an investigation is underway. "Typically, 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." It's not clear at this point what caused the drones to to fall.

Drones fall from the sky during Christmas light show in Orlando, Florida seriously injuring young boy.

Mike Sington (@mikesington.bsky.social) 2024-12-23T10:47:49.370Z

Previously: Now people on the West Coast can freak out about drones too