Drone With Mistletoe in Restaurant, What Could Go Wrong
Georgine Benvenuto was hit by flying drone while photographing a story.
— -- A Brooklyn photographer has no love for a drone carrying mistletoe that struck her in the face and got tangled in her hair.
Georgine Benvenuto was taking pictures for the Brooklyn Daily of a drone at a TGI Fridays restaurant in Sheepshead Bay on Dec. 4.
The promotion was meant to encourage holiday spirit by enticing diners to kiss under a floating drone with mistletoe attached. Those who agreed to smooch would be awarded gift cards.
"I was there to cover a story on the mobile mistletoe," Benvenuto said. "My assignment was to photograph a couple underneath it. I was very skeptical about these things flying around inside right from the beginning."
Benvenuto said her reporter colleague was talking with the drone operator.
"The operator was instructing my writer to put out her hand for the drone to land on it," Benvenuto said. "When it landed on her hand, she flinched and the drone came in my direction."
The machine struck Benvenuto, cutting her on the nose and chin.
"I would say that the one that hit me was six or seven inches in diameter," she said. "I was bleeding because it cut me and removed my skin. The mistletoe that was hanging from the fishing line was wrapped in my hair too. It all happened so fast."
Benvenuto said she's not a holding a grudge.
"I'm letting it stand as an accident," Benvenuto said. "But I would like the word to get out that a drone is a drone. It doesn't make a difference if it's large or small. They're dangerous and that’s what's disturbing me. It would be different if it was in a controlled environment, like if it were outside."
A Fridays spokeswoman released the following statement to ABC News:
“This was an isolated event during a demonstration for the reporter and photographer only, given by the licensed operator of the drone during the last day of this particular promotion. Of course, safety is our first priority and we are sorry that this isolated incident occurred.”
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