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Boy, 7, needs open heart surgery after drone fell on him during light show, mom says


Boy, 7, needs open heart surgery after drone fell on him during light show, mom says

The drone left cuts and bruises on the boy who also had to undergo open heart surgery because of a damaged valve, says his mom.

As the Edgerton family gazed at the night sky Saturday to watch the flashing lights of a drone show, suddenly something went wrong, and drones started falling from the sky. One of them struck Alexander Edgerton, 7, in the chest, mom Adriana Edgerton told NBC affiliate WESH 2 in Orlando, Florida.

"Everyone's natural instinct was the duck and scatter," she told WESH. "Before we realized it, my daughter found my son on the floor unconscious. He had blood coming out of his face."

The drone hit him so forcefully that it caused lacerations and bruising.

"The blade cut his mouth," Edgerton said. "There's an actual imprint of the drone on his chest."

Paramedics at the event treated Alexander before rushing him to the hospital, where the family learned the extent of his injuries.

"The drone hit him so hard in his chest that it messed up one of the valves in the heart," Edgerton said. On Sunday, Alexander underwent emergency heart surgery, according to WESH.

Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration is examining what happened during the show. Some of the small drones in the show crashed and knocked some out of the sky into the crowd of about 25,000 viewers.

The City of Orlando issued a statement, saying, "Our thoughts are with the family and all those impacted by the outcome of this event."

Sky Elements, who produced the drone show, also shared a statement:

"The wellbeing of our audience is our utmost priority, and we regret any distress or inconvenience caused."

The company also told TODAY that they're investigating what happened. Sky Elements is examining the software that guides the drones as they fly and looking into whether the event was properly staffed.

The Edgerton family's holidays will look a little different as Alexander will likely still need to be in the intensive care unit to continue his recovery.

"This should not happen," Edgerton says. "No family should be going through this off of trying to watch a show and have a good time."

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