A boy from Florida is permanently injured after a falling drone hit him during a holiday drone show. According to PEOPLE, the mother of this 7-year-old boy revealed he had to undergo emergency open-heart surgery after the accident in December 2024.
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Drone Hits 7-Year-Old Boy During Holiday Show, Permanently Injuring Him
Now, she is suing the city of Orlando, as well as the companies involved in the drone show. The complaint from his parents, Jessica Lumedge and Adriana Edgerton, alleges that “multiple drones malfunctioned, causing these drones to leave formation, deviate from the coordinated flight path and breach the designated geofenced perimeter.”
At one point during the show on December 21 at Lake Eola, the drones got dangerously close to them. These devices allegedly “entered the space occupied by spectators at a high rate of speed.” One of them struck the boy in his face and chest, “causing severe and permanent injuries.”
After the accident, the Orlando Fire Department “was alerted to an individual who was reported to be injured during the show,” per the initial PEOPLE report. Paramedics treated the boy on scene before they had to transfer him to a hospital.
He then had to undergo open-heart surgery, and according to Law & Crime, the boy named Alezander spent around 10 days hospitalized to recover.
This new lawsuit claims Orlando “failed to properly vet the companies in charge of the show.” The city also allegedly didn’t follow all safety protocols. On top of that, it alleges the vendors had “an established track record of safety and reliability, particularly in light of known prior drone failures at past shows involving the same vendors and technology.”
Preliminary Report Uncovers Huge Mistakes
A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board also detailed the mistakes during the accident. This investigation found that the “aircraft layers did not lift uniformly.”
Reviewing the flight logs also uncovered two additional issues. The drone positions were rotated by around seven degrees, first off. Then, there were incorrect settings for the “Geo hard fence.” This left the drones far too close to the viewing area than what company standards would require.
According to the suit, the boy is permanently injured. He has sustained “traumatic, permanent injuries requiring medical treatment, and will continue to suffer physical, emotional, and financial harm.”
To help with Alezander’s recovery, the family set up a GoFundMe. They have since raised over $36,000 to help with medical costs.