Amazon Prime Air drone drops Texas woman's package into swimming pool

Published Aug 20, 09:35 AM UTC

A Texas woman, Lindsey Austen, captured viral video of an Amazon Prime Air drone dropping her package into her swimming pool. The incident occurred the same week Amazon announced plans to expand its drone delivery service to nearly 500 U.S. cities by 2026, a sixfold increase. The footage shows the drone hovering over the pool before releasing the package into the water, prompting the woman's exclamation. Amazon, which already operates in seven states including Texas, emphasizes its safety systems and FAA certification, claiming the drones use onboard sensors to avoid obstacles. The package fell harmlessly into the water with no injuries, but the malfunction highlights challenges in the company's rapid drone delivery expansion, which aims to deliver millions of items in as little as 30 minutes.