Emails show insurance concerns before Folly Beach drone show malfunction

FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (WCSC) – Before Folly Beach’s New Year’s Eve drone show malfunctioned, emails showed obtaining the proper insurance was difficult and the show came with a large price tag.

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On Dec. 31, 250 drones took to the sky on Folly Beach. About three minutes into the show, spectators began to shout to police officers that drones were falling, according to a press release from the City of Folly Beach Department of Public Safety.

The drones fell for approximately 30 seconds at which point all remaining drones started “a controlled descent” to the designated landing zone, according to officials.

One man was struck by a drone and sustained two minor scrapes and was treated and released on-site, according to the Folly Association of Business, the business association that presented the show. Bystanders also reported drone debris hitting vehicles.

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Emails were obtained by Live 5 News under a Freedom of Information Act request between Folly Beach employees and the Folly Association of Business.

On Dec. 20, Folly Association of Business Event Coordinator Kelly Travers emailed City of Folly Beach Community Coordinator Heather O’Donnell. Travers expressed being in “panic mode” about what she called insurance stuff.

“Sorry, I have been delaying updates due to our struggles with our insurance carrier. I have been trying all week to get the proper coverage and it has not been easy! It is still not approved so can we please HOLD until Monday to post anything?” Travers said.

In response to the emails, Travers said on Tuesday the event was fully insured on Dec. 20 under a special event policy and additionally insured on Lightyear Drones policy. She also said:

We did not have difficulties in getting insurance for the event. FAB carries a policy at all times but we wanted to add a special event policy for this display.

Folly Beach traditionally has fireworks on New Year’s Eve, which typically cost just under $20,000, but the Lightyear Drone show came with a $40,000 price tag, almost double the previous amount, according to Travers.

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After the incident, Folly Beach’s Municipal Clerk Wesley Graham said in an email that Live 5 News obtained that the drone show was produced and managed by the Folly Association of Businesses, not the City of Folly Beach.

Yet, emails between O’Donnell and Travers reveal conversations on how to market the drone show.

On Tuesday, Graham released the following statement on behalf of the City of Folly Beach:

The City of Folly Beach’s involvement in the New Year’s Eve event, produced by the Folly Association of Business (FAB), was limited to coordination with FAB regarding security and logistics related to the impacts of the event to public property and city resources.

The City also provided residents and visitors with information about the event’s date, time, and location for viewing, shared by FAB. Beyond these efforts, the City was not involved in the planning or execution of the event.

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