PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Eyes are to the skies in South Florida as people told WPTV they have been seeing drones in our area, similar to the accounts in New Jersey.
Residents on the Treasure Coast and Palm Beach County said they want clarity about what they are.
Alex Rodriguez Torres, who lives in Port St. Lucie, drove WPTV’s Tyler Hatfield along Port St Lucie Boulevard to where he said he saw a drone in the sky.
"When it shifted, I could see the outline of the whole shape, which was circular,” said Rodriguez Torres. "I was like, 'I can't believe this is a drone in our town, like the one in New Jersey, in little Port St. Lucie.'"
But Torres is not the only one.
Viewers from the Treasure Coast to Palm Beach county have been sending WPTV video and pictures of what they believe are drones after weeks of sightings all along the East Coast.
Rebecca Landerman from Palm Beach County told WPTV she believes she saw multiple drones while driving on the Florida Turnpike north of Port St. Lucie.
“It’s just like this ominous presence,” said Landerman. “Which is not a comfortable feeling.”
Landerman said she wants clarity about what she’s seeing.
“Give us any kind of answer, and it's less scary, “ said Landerman. “You just don't know why it's there.”
WPTV took their concerns to Stuart Kaplan, a former FBI special agent. He said many of the most common sightings could be fueled by hysteria.
Kaplan adds that drones are mostly used legally.
For any nefarious uses, Kaplan believes that the FBI and other agencies have the technology to track and neutralize any threats.
“The technology that is being deployed as counter measures is extremely effective to ensure our safety,” said Kaplan.
Kaplan said he believes the most recent sightings here in South Florida could be “copycats” of the New Jersey sightings.
“Individuals that are just trying to create hysteria or trying to escalate the already anxious environment that is being created,” said Kaplan.
