NYE drone show canceled on Folly Beach after drones fall from sky; at least 1 injured

FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (WCBD) - A new drone show on Folly Beach was canceled Tuesday night after the drones malfunctioned and fell from the sky.

Organizers completed two drone displays before they all went down, News 2 learned.

“Approximately 3 minutes into the show, spectators from the crowd started shouting to police officers nearby that drones were falling from the sky,” Folly Beach police said.

Law enforcement said the incident lasted about 30 seconds before all of the drones started a controlled decent to their designated landing zone.

At least one person was struck by a drone when it fell from the sky, according to police. The adult male suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was treated by Folly Beach Fire Rescue on scene.

We’re told organizers waited roughly 20 minutes before resuming; however, just before 7:30 p.m. it was announced the drone show was cancelled due to safety concerns, and people immediately cleared the area.

“At this time, we are not speculating on how or why this incident occurred,” police said, adding that the FAA has been notified and will investigate.

The show was scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and feature 250 drones.

The drones were meant to replace the beach community’s fireworks while offering an environmentally-friendly alternative.

The community’s annual Flip Flop Drop on Center Street is expected to continue as normal.