An Austrian champion ski racer was nearly killed Tuesday when an out-of-control camera drone fell to earth bare inches from him. A photographer caught the dramatic near-collision.
The skier, Marcel Hirschner, finished second despite the accident; he is currently ranked fist in standings at the World Championships, now being held at Madonna di Campiglio, Italy. He’s been champion 4 times in a row.
According to Ski Federation director Markus Waldner, who has now banned drones from all meets pending a full study, the drone’s batteries and mechanism were functioning properly, and it may have been brought down by a burst of radio-frequency interference.
There’s also a video, below:
