Child hospitalized after holiday drone show in Florida goes badly wrong

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A child was hospitalized after being hit by one of several drones that crashed into each other during a Saturday night aerial holiday show in Orlando, authorities said.

The boy and his family were watching the holiday drone show when something went haywire and several small drones "collided and fell into a crowd," the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.

The incident unfolded about 6:45 p.m. Saturday at Orlando's Eloa Lake as thousands of spectators looked on, according to the FAA.

The injured boy's family told ABC News on Sunday that he was hit in the chest by one of the falling drones.

The boy was taken to a hospital, according to a spokesperson for the Orlando Fire Department.

The incident occurred during one of two free holiday drone shows that had been scheduled for Saturday night. Following the incident, the city canceled the second show due to what it described as "technical difficulties."

So apparently they had to cancel the 2nd drone show at #LakeEolaPark tonight and I wonder if the drones that got knocked out during the 1st show was the cause #Orlando pic.twitter.com/xxySjbkohy

— MosquitoCoFL Podcast (@MosquitoCoFL) December 22, 2024 ]/>

About 25,000 people were attending the family-friendly event when the incident occurred, officials said.

The city had billed the event as a "dazzling display of synchronized drones flying in formation to create beautiful holiday-themed designs in the night sky."

"Attendees will be able to sit back and watch the 15-minute light show from the comfort of their own blankets and lawn chairs," the city said in an advertisement for the show.

Bystander video showed more than 200 drones forming a red and green holiday display when several of the bladed devices began falling from the sky, crashing on land and in the water.

"Are they supposed to be falling? Is that good or bad," a child was heard asking in one of the videos that captured the incident.

Fire personnel were already at the park staffing an emergency tent set up about 50 feet from where a drone struck the child, according to a city statement. Following the mishap, paramedics quickly reached the injured boy and began administering first aid, the statement said.

The event was permitted through the FAA, which the city said was conducting an investigation.

"Our thoughts are with the family and all those impacted by the outcome of this event," the city said in its statement. "The City remains in contact with the vendor and FAA who will conduct a thorough investigation."

The company putting on the drone show was identified by the city as Sky Elements Drones of North Richland Hills, Texas, a Dallas suburb.

The company issued a statement Sunday that said it "wants to extend our sincere hope for a full and speedy recovery to those impacted."

Sky Elements Drones said that it follows guidelines established by the FAA to ensure the safety of its shows, which are seen by "millions" annually.

"The well-being of our audience is our utmost priority, and we regret any distress or inconvenience caused," the statement continued, adding that Sky Elements Drones was working with officials to investigate the incident.

Drone arrays and light shows are subject to FAA regulation. Typically, such events require a waiver of a regulation that prohibits operating more than one drone at a time, the agency said.

"We thoroughly review each drone-show application to make sure the flying public and people on the ground will be safe," the FAA said in a statement.

ABC News' Ayesha Ali contributed to this report.