Drones fall during New Year's Eve show in Folly Beach, injuring spectator
About three minutes into a 250-drone New Year's Eve show at Folly Beach, drones began dropping from the sky. One man was struck and treated at the scene for minor scrapes.
Key facts
- Drones began falling about three minutes into a 250-drone New Year's Eve light show in Folly Beach, South Carolina, on December 31, 2024.
- One man was hit by a falling drone and treated at the scene for two minor scrapes.
- Drones fell for about 30 seconds before the rest of the swarm made a controlled descent to its landing zone, according to city public safety officials.
- The show was flown by Lightyear Drones for the Folly Association of Business.
- The failure came ten days after a drone show in Orlando seriously injured a child.
What happened
The Folly Association of Business, a local business group, hired Lightyear Drones to fly a 250-drone light show over Folly Beach, South Carolina, on New Year’s Eve 2024. About three minutes after the show began, spectators started shouting to police officers that drones were falling.
According to the City of Folly Beach Department of Public Safety, drones dropped for about 30 seconds. The remaining aircraft then made a controlled descent to their designated landing area and the show ended. One man in the crowd was struck by a drone. He had two minor scrapes and was treated and released at the scene. Bystanders also reported debris hitting parked vehicles.
The system involved
The show used a swarm of 250 small light-show drones flying pre-programmed formations, operated by Lightyear Drones. Shows of this kind are flown by a remote pilot supervising many aircraft at once and need FAA approval. The make and model of the drones were not reported.
Investigation and response
Folly Beach police said they would not speculate on the cause and that the FAA had been notified and was leading the investigation. The chief executive of Lightyear Drones said the company was waiting for findings and suggested that nearby fireworks or radio interference from a DJ booth might have played a part. The Folly Association of Business said it was working with the operator and authorities to find out what went wrong.
What is not established
No official cause was found in the sources reviewed. The operator’s suggestions about fireworks or interference were not confirmed, and the number of drones that fell was not reported.
Outcomes
- The remaining drones were brought down in a controlled descent and the show was ended early.
- Folly Beach police said the FAA was notified and would lead the investigation.
Sources
- Expert says more regulation needed following Folly Beach drone show malfunctionLive 5 News (WCSC), January 1, 2025
- Man injured by falling drones during New Year's drone showWBTV (Gray News), January 1, 2025