Drone Takes Out a Rider During a Race
Make sure the high-tech filmmaker at your crit knows not to dive-bomb you with their equipment.
Make sure the high-tech filmmaker at your crit knows not to dive-bomb you with their equipment. – By Molly Hurford
New technology means there is a huge number of ways to capture unique race footage. But with great cinematography comes great responsibility—something one drone photographer learned the hard way after a recent crit in California.
During the race in Rancho Cordova, a drone—which had been hovering over the course—abruptly crash-landed. But before it met its untimely demise, it took someone down with it:
The drone interrupted the crit by causing one competitor to flip head-over-saddle.
In-race footage (captured by 15-year-old racer Kaito Clarke from the front of his bike and uploaded to YouTube) shows the drone clearly catching in the poor cyclist’s spokes.
Like cyclists needed another thing to worry about. In the future, pay attention to the road around you… and the skies. And if you’re photographing a race remotely and from above, take special care not to become part of the action.