New Delhi: An Amazon drone dropped a customer’s parcel into her backyard swimming pool in Richmond, Texas, causing the package to crash.
“After I finished recording, I ran and got it really quick. The box was completely wet and drenched,” Lindsey Austen said.
Austen heard the drone approaching and rushed outside to film her first-ever Prime Air delivery. Instead, the drone hovered over the pool, opened its delivery compartment and dropped the package into the water. The short video, filmed on Monday and widely shared on social media, showed the gap between futuristic technology and reality.
Amazon had recently announced plans to expand its drone-delivery service to nearly 500 more US cities and towns by the end of the year. The company aims to make 1 million drone deliveries in 2026, making the pool mishap an unfortunate moment for a service trying to become a regular part of everyday shopping.
“Incidents are extremely rare, and when a delivery doesn’t go as planned, we learn from it to improve the experience and take steps to prevent it from happening in the future,” Amazon spokesperson Lindsay Hamilton said.
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Amazon air drops
Austen’s order was dry cat food, shoe insoles for her daughter, and light bulbs. She placed the order as she normally would and said she had not specifically chosen drone delivery.
Soon after placing the order, Austen received a notification saying some of her items would arrive through Prime Air. According to Amazon, customers who use the service must confirm the delivery location through a map in the company’s app. The drone then uses onboard cameras and sensors to navigate without a human pilot.
Amazon launched Prime Air in 2022 and claimed its drone can carry packages weighing up to 5 pounds, and it should fit inside a large shoebox. The drones are designed to deliver selected items directly to customers, offering a faster alternative to traditional van deliveries.
Bezos, who stepped down as Amazon CEO five years ago, first announced plans in 2013 to use drones to deliver small packages in 30 minutes or less. But the programme has faced years of regulatory delays, staff cuts, technical difficulties and opposition from some communities where it tested the service.
In 2024, Amazon won regulatory approval to expand its long-range drone deliveries. Since then, it has grown the service from its initial markets near Dallas and Phoenix to 11 metro areas, with six more set to launch soon. But residents in some communities remain concerned about drone noise, privacy and the possible impact on property values.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)