(Screenshot from WESH 2’s YouTube; video courtesy of MosquitoCoFL podcast)
Adriana Edgerton and Jessica Lumedge are saying their 7-year-old son Alezander has undergone open-heart surgery after being hit in the chest by a falling drone during a holiday show at Lake Eola Park in Orlando Dec. 21.
Speaking with WESH 2, Edgerton said that she and her family were watching the 6:30 p.m. drone show at Lake Eola when drones started to fall out of the sky.
“Everyone’s natural instinct was to duck and scatter, and before we realized it, my daughter found my son on the floor unconscious. He had blood coming out of his face,” Edgerton told WESH 2.
Edgerton said the drone struck Alezander’s chest so hard that it damaged one of his heart valves, adding that an imprint of the drone was left on his chest.
The family has launched a GoFundMe to help with Alezander’s accident recovery.
“My baby is going into emergency heart surgery,” Lumedge wrote on the GoFundMe page. “Our family attended the drone show at Lake Eola on 12/21. One of the drones shot into my son’s chest, and our family would be so grateful for support for Alezander. He is currently staying in the hospital. I will be missing work at this time, and he will be celebrating Christmas in the ICU.”
The GoFundMe has currently raised nearly $7,000.
Sky Elements, the Texas-based company that organized the drone event, said in a statement, “Sky Elements Drones wants to extend our sincere hope for a full and speedy recovery for those impacted at our Lake Eola show.”
The City of Orlando also issued a statement expressing that their “thoughts are with the family and all those impacted” at the event, adding that they have been in contact with the Federal Aviation Administration, who is investigating the incident.
Both moms took to their Facebook pages to share the GoFundMe link and comments on what happened.
“God please be with me! My baby is going into emergency heart surgery off of just trying to watch a drone show at Lake Eola Park! I am beyond words beyond terrified! City of Orlando – Government and Sky Elements Drones really have some explaining to do,” Edgerton wrote. They will be held accountable for what was done to my son. I pray he makes it out of this!”
“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,” Lumedge wrote. “JUSTICE FOR ALEZANDER.”
Video of the drones falling out of the sky circulated on social media. It is unknown what caused the drones to initially collide.
“This should not have happened, and no family should be going through this,” Edgerton said. “We were trying to watch a show and have a good time.”
You can make a donation to the GoFundMe by going here.
