By Laura French
ROSEVILLE, Ohio — A medical helicopter in Ohio was delayed in its response to a child having seizures due to a drone flying nearby, officials say.
The Roseville Volunteer Fire Department posted on Facebook that whoever was operating the drone made “a very poor choice,” adding, “We will not condone this behavior and you will be charged Criminally for this.”
The department later posted that the incident was reported to the Federal Aviation Administration and that the Crooksville Police Department has also launched an investigation.
The incident occurred Friday morning when first responders determined the child patient needed to be transported to a hospital in the Columbus area, according to Y-City News. MedFlight 6 was approaching the Roseville fire station when the pilot saw the drone, forcing them to conduct several flybys to ensure a safe path for landing.
“You caused a large delay by interfering with the aircraft making them wait to land. This caused a delay in medical care and you are liable for that,” the fire department wrote in a Facebook post addressing the drone operator. In a later post, the department added, “With this incident it could have caused a major issue with the aircraft that would have resulted in a crash and possible fatalities.”
Roseville Firefighter-EMT JT Roberts said he suspects a local resident may have heard about the medical call on a scanner and was trying to observe the helicopter with the drone.
“It definitely makes your blood boil a little bit,” Roberts told Y-City News.