On July 30, the City of Kerrville clarified that testimony given during the July 23 joint hearing of the special state House and Senate committees investigating this month’s deadly floods indicated the drone was actually an authorized search and rescue drone.
It had flown too high and stalled — contrary to earlier reports that it was an unauthorized private drone.
Kerr County officials say a privately operated drone collided with a rescue helicopter Monday afternoon, forcing the aircraft to make an emergency landing in the middle of ongoing flood recovery efforts.
The helicopter was part of a multi-agency operation searching for victims of last week’s deadly flash flooding. Officials say the incident put first responders at risk and took a critical piece of equipment out of service.
“This was entirely preventable,” the county said in a statement on Facebook. “When you fly a drone in restricted areas, you’re not just breaking the law -- you’re putting first responders, emergency crews, and the public at serious risk.”
A Temporary Flight Restriction remains in effect over the disaster zone, banning private drones and unauthorized aircraft from the area. Violators could face federal fines and charges.
Emergency officials are urging the public to keep personal drones grounded until all search and rescue operations are complete.