WASHINGTON, Pa. (KDKA) — As more people report seeing mysterious drones across the country, a Washington County family said their loved one’s medical helicopter was apparently mistaken for a drone.
The alleged sighting in Washington County on Sunday morning sparked hundreds of comments on social media.
“This drone flew over our area and everything,” Robert Zborowski said. “And in the comments everyone says, ‘Shoot them. Shoot them. If they fly over my house, I’ll shoot them.’ Well, it has been confirmed that this was her helicopter.”
Zborowski said the alleged drone was a medical helicopter. His wife, a doctor for ten years, works for STAT MedEvac. The company shared the flight path the helicopter took around the same time and place where the alleged drone sighting had occurred.
“People think these are drones, and in this case that wasn’t the case,” Zborowski said. “It was a medical helicopter.”
Zborowski said this was a wake-up call for his family, concerned about the safety of his wife and other first responders in the air.
“If there’s a landing zone, an incident at night or something, very often they fly low and slow around LZs. They have landing lights on, usually outside in rural communities where a lot of the attitude is to shoot them down. And while I understand that people want their privacy, firstly it is a federal violation, and secondly it is not a drone.
The Federal Aviation Administration said pilots should operate drones so they do not pose a danger to people or property, continuing: “If you believe someone is flying unsafely and poses an immediate threat, you should contact local law enforcement. do not regulate privacy, but local privacy laws may apply to drone operations.”
Erika Stanish
