World Cup skier nearly hit by falling drone

Champion skier Marcel Hirshcer was nearly taken out by a falling drone in Italy.

The FIS said the new technology was adopted to enhance the experience for a TV audience, as a drone supplies pictures from an angle that regular cameras can not.

The company responsible for the camera drone, sports-marketing agency Infront, said in a statement that “the circumstances leading to [the crash] are now being examined”.

FIS and the host broadcaster will now work with all involved parties to uncover what occurred during the crash to ensure it never happens again.

In this footage Hirscher is making short turns through the alternating red and blue pole gates as the large camera hits the ground behind him.

It has not been confirmed who was flying the drone at the Madonna di Campiglio ski resort.

Marcel Hirscher was almost wiped out by a drone carrying a television camera on Tuesday and the objects have now been banned by the FIS. Keeping a good sense of humor abouot what could have been much worse, Hirscher later tweeted: “Heavy air traffic in Italy”.

“Drones=good idea. Flying over people=bad idea”. Legal restrictions in Italy for using drones at such events wasn’t as tight as in some countries.

The drone incident is not the first of its type.

For example, in Austria and in Switzerland drones aren’t allowed to be flown over crowds.

Italian Pennetta admitted to being terrified by the incident at the time, believing it to be a bomb. “I’m not hurt and I was lucky”, he said. “I am very relieved that nothing happened“.

Daniel Verley, a teacher from New York City, was subsequently sentenced to five days of community service for crashing the unauthorised drone.