Amazon’s drone deliveries are landing in pools and ponds

The Verge News

Summary

Amazon's Prime Air drone delivery service has repeatedly dropped packages into pools and ponds in multiple incidents, raising safety and reliability concerns for the technology.

<figure> <img alt="An Amazon drone over a swimming pool" data-caption="" data-portal-copyright="Image: Amazon" data-has-syndication-rights="1" src="https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/amazon-pool-drone.jpeg?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;crop=0,0,100,100" /> <figcaption> </figcaption> </figure> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Amazon's speedy drone delivery service <a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/981908/amazon-prime-air-drone-delivery-us-expansion">will soon reach</a> 500 cities across the US - but that might just mean there are more pools to drop packages into. On Wednesday, ABC7 News Bay Area <a href="https://www.threads.com/@abc7newsbayarea/video/DcPHCF6jzhn/video-an-amazon-customer-in-texas-was-not-enthused-when-her-first-drone-delivered/">shared a video</a> showing an Amazon delivery drone hovering over a customer's pool in Texas, before opening its hatch and plopping the package directly into the water.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">This isn't the first time Amazon's drones have delivered soggy packages. A <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/sTNXK7qQiX0">video shared last July</a> shows a Prime Air drone dropping a package right next to a customer's pool in Arizona, but air sent downward by the drone's propellers blew it straight into the water. In an interview <a href="https://www.azfamily.com/video/2025/08/01/amazon-drone-delivery-goes-wrong-package-ends-up-pool/">with local news o …</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/982808/amazon-prime-air-drones-packages-pools-ponds">Read the full story at The Verge.</a></p>
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# Amazon’s drone deliveries are landing in pools and ponds Source: [https://www.theverge.com/tech/982808/amazon-prime-air-drones-packages-pools-ponds](https://www.theverge.com/tech/982808/amazon-prime-air-drones-packages-pools-ponds) [![Emma Roth](https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/author_profile_images/195810/EMMA_ROTH.0.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&w=96)](https://www.theverge.com/authors/emma-roth) Emma Roth is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more\. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO\. Amazon’s speedy drone delivery service[will soon reach](https://www.theverge.com/tech/981908/amazon-prime-air-drone-delivery-us-expansion)500 cities across the US — but that might just mean there are more pools to drop packages into\. On Wednesday, ABC7 News Bay Area[shared a video](https://www.threads.com/@abc7newsbayarea/video/DcPHCF6jzhn/video-an-amazon-customer-in-texas-was-not-enthused-when-her-first-drone-delivered/)showing an Amazon delivery drone hovering over a customer’s pool in Texas, before opening its hatch and plopping the package directly into the water\. This isn’t the first time Amazon’s drones have delivered soggy packages\. A[video shared last July](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/sTNXK7qQiX0)shows a Prime Air drone dropping a package right next to a customer’s pool in Arizona, but air sent downward by the drone’s propellers blew it straight into the water\. In an interview[with local news outlet AZFamily 3TV](https://www.azfamily.com/video/2025/08/01/amazon-drone-delivery-goes-wrong-package-ends-up-pool/)at the time, the customer said he let Amazon choose the delivery location for him\. Another incident from May[shows an Amazon drone dropping](https://www.reddit.com/r/SipsTea/comments/1t4730x/amazon_drone_delivery_near_lake/)a package near a pond, which bounces off the ground and tumbles into the water\. Last year, Amazon[halted drone deliveries](https://www.theverge.com/news/790636/amazon-prime-mk30-drone-delivery-crash-arizona-pause)in the West Valley Phoenix Metro Area when two of its MK30 drones crashed into a crane\. Its drones have also been spotted[cutting an internet cable](https://www.theverge.com/news/831527/amazon-delivery-drone-waco-texas-faa-investigation-internet-wire)and colliding with[an apartment building](https://www.theverge.com/tech/875475/amazon-delivery-drone-crash-texas)\. Amazon says that once its drones reach the delivery point, “it will check to confirm there are no people, pets, or vehicles in the way before safely delivering the package\.” Maybe it needs to check for water, too\. Amazon didn’t immediately respond to*The Verge*’s request for comment\. **Follow topics and authors**from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates\. - Emma Roth

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