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Drone falls from the sky at Palms Place pool, injures woman

Posted at 6:08 PM, Sep 21, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-22 16:12:19-04

A young woman is sent to the hospital after she's hit by a drone at a hotel pool near the Las Vegas Strip.

Kristen Rebollo was lounging at Palms Place and saw the moment the drone fell from the sky, striking a woman nearby.

"Something just hit her in the leg and we looked over and she just started screaming," Rebollo said.

She says her fellow guest had a deep cut in her upper thigh, and Rebollo scrambled to help with first aid.

Meanwhile, Rebollo says the drone battery burst into flames, burning a hole through a pool chair.

Palms Place said in a statement it has strict policies against anything being launched or thrown off of balconies.

“At Palms, the safety and comfort of our guests is our top priority. In addition to being a violation of Nevada law prohibiting flying unmanned aircraft systems (drones) within five miles of the airport, the resort has strict policies prohibiting items being launched or thrown off of the balconies. Any violation of this policy is grounds for strict dismissal and removal from the property, an action which was immediately taken in this instance.”

13 Action News was told the drone operator was immediately kicked out of the hotel.

Rebollo is still creeped out by the idea of a drone overhead, snooping.

"We're up on the sixth floor on the deck of the pool and you're not expecting anyone," she said. "It's supposed to be very private and exclusive."

Because the hotel is within 5 miles of McCarran Airport, the drone operator would have needed to notify air traffic control and airport manager.