A drone nearly collided with the Edmonton police helicopter last month, prompting police to issue a warning to the public on Friday.
Police said the helicopter was responding to call in the downtown area around 10 p.m. on July 8 when the pilot noticed a white drone passing by about 50 feet away.
At the time, Air-1 was 1,500 feet off the ground. Two smaller drones were seen in the same area about 30 minutes later.
“Had the UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) and helicopter collided, it certainly could have been catastrophic and potentially fatal for both crew members of Air-1,” Const. Brian Griffith of the Air-1 flight crew said in a news release.
Police are investigating. If caught, the culprits could face charges under the Criminal Code and the Aeronautics Act.
Transport Canada says drones are not to be flown near moving vehicles, highways, bridges and busy streets, or anywhere the devices could interfere with first responders.
Drones are only to be flown in daylight hours and no higher than 90 metres (300 feet) above the ground.