Theories run the gamut — from a videographer testing his new toy to a hostile foreign power casing Ponte Vedra ahead of an imminent ground invasion.
Either way, the country’s drone drama has flitted all the way from suburban New Jersey to the neat streets of Nocatee and wider St. Johns.
The sheriff’s office told The Citizen that they’ve gotten a number of drone-related calls this month from residents unsettled by the hovering orbs.
One complainant was convinced she was being spied on by her ex-husband.
Others tie the sightings to the swarm of mysterious devices plaguing New Jersey and Staten Island.
But in at least some of the cases, the explanations were more mundane than menacing.
The sheriff’s office followed up on a couple of the reports, and said the devices belonged to construction or surveying companies.
A local posted footage of a drone whizzing high in the night sky above Nocatee this week after spotting two flashing objects over Palmetto Cove.
Others chimed in with similar accounts, with one resident reporting a drone idling over the 55 and over goings on at the Del Webb retirement community.
While most assumed benign origins, others weren’t so quick to dismiss more sinister scenarios.
One observer concluded that the drones were part of a surreptitious military exercise that had Northeast Florida in its sights.
A drone pilot weighed in to remind readers that they have a hard time seeing through windows — and that they likely weren’t being peeked at from on high.
While no one broached the idea of gunning down the aerial intruders, he advised with them not to take that drastic step, reminding would-be vigilantes that it’s a “federal offense.”
New Jersey officials on Thursday temporarily banned the use of drones in 22 areas across the state in the wake of widespread reports of unexplained devices.
