Stock image of a drone used for photography
At the time, Ogden was on her second lap when a remotely controlled drone fell from the sky and hit her on the head, causing her to fall to the ground. She was immediately taken to hospital and is now in stable condition. Ogden is the wife of triathlon defending champion Courtney Ogden.
The drone belonged to “New Era Photography and Film,” a team that covers and live-streams various events in the area, often using drones to film races from the air. Warren Abrams, the owner of the company, said: “We will conduct a thorough investigation into this incident, but it appears that someone may have accessed our system.”
Race organizers immediately issued a statement saying they would investigate the cause of the drone crash and also discovered that “New Era Photography and Film” did not have a license to operate the drone. The Australian drone operator certification body announced that Abrams’ company did not have the proper qualification to use a drone to film race events, which could put members of the public at risk.
Abrams said the drone did not hit Ogden, but flew too close to her, causing her to become frightened and fall. He admitted the company did not have government permission to use the drone.
Around the world, the presence of drones is becoming increasingly common. Not long ago, a U.S. military-controlled drone crashed near an elementary school in Pennsylvania. Fortunately, no one was injured. Officials said the drone was worth $150,000 (about 930,000 yuan) and was completely destroyed after being hit by a car. But such incidents have not stopped the rapid growth of the drone market.