Amazon Prime Air drones are dropping packages into pools

Amazon's speedy drone delivery service will soon reach 500 cities across the United States, but expansion may bring an increase in packages ending up in backyard bodies of water. On Wednesday, ABC7 News Bay Area shared video footage showing an Amazon delivery drone hovering over a customer's swimming pool in Texas before opening its hatch and dropping the package directly into the water.

This is not the first time Amazon drones have delivered soggy parcels to customers. A video shared last July captured a Prime Air drone releasing a package near a pool in Arizona, where downdraft wind from the drone's propellers blew the box straight into the water. In an interview with local news outlet AZFamily 3TV at the time, the customer stated he let Amazon choose the delivery location for him. Another incident in May showed an Amazon drone dropping a package near a pond, causing it to bounce off the ground and tumble into the water.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

Last year, Amazon was forced to temporarily halt drone deliveries in the West Valley Phoenix Metro Area after two of its MK30 drones crashed into a crane. The company's delivery drones have also been spotted severing an internet cable and colliding with an apartment building in separate past incidents.

Amazon maintains that once its drones reach the designated delivery point, the aircraft checks to confirm no people, pets, or vehicles are obstructing the path before safely releasing the package. However, recent events suggest the navigation software may also need to screen for bodies of water. Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Verge.

Source: The Verge