Mysterious drones reported over Staten Island in NYC

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. (PIX11) – Mysterious drones have now been spotted in New York City flying over Staten Island this week, the borough's president said Thursday.

The drone sightings – similar to the ones in New Jersey in recent weeks – were reported above Howland Hook Marine Terminal and the West Shore on Staten Island as recently as Tuesday, according to Borough President Vito Fossella.

Fossella wrote a letter to the FAA and FBI requesting an investigation into the drone sightings on Staten Island.

“It is odd and quite bizarre that nobody can figure out who is flying these drones, where they are coming from, and their purpose,” Fossella wrote in the letter. “It is not just a bizarre situation, but also a concerning one, as it seems these drones can potentially become a danger to personal safety. It was recently reported that, during a medical emergency resulting from a crash in Branchburg, New Jersey, the presence of these drones prevented a medevac helicopter from being able to transport a seriously injured patient to the hospital.”

Fossella expressed concern for the two hospital systems on Staten Island and the potential for the drones to impede life-saving care in medical emergencies.

“We hope that such an investigation may shed light on what these drones are doing, where they are coming from and how to mitigate the risks they may pose on public safety,” Fossella wrote.

U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis said she requested the FAA to impose temporary drone flight restrictions in the area on Staten Island.

"Authorities should swiftly investigate these reports and share with the public the purpose of these drones," Malliotakis said in a statement.

The mysterious drone sightings have continued in New Jersey, including in Morris County and other parts of the state.

Residents across Morris County have reported seeing the drones in the night sky for at least the past two weeks. Residents described the sightings as “unnerving” and “creepy” and want an explanation for them.

“People are unnerved about it because there’s no answer to who they are, who’s controlling these drones, and why there’s so many,” Morristown Mayor Tim Dougherty said Wednesday.

Mike Walsh, a Randolph resident who has seen the drones numerous times since Nov. 18, said they are “unsettling.”

“They kind of go slow … They come towards you. Then they change direction a little. They’re all going different ways,” Walsh said.

Nancy Read, who is also a Randolph resident, said she has been watching the drones from her home on Ironia Road for two weeks. Read said the drones only come out at night.

“It’s normally anywhere between 7:30 and 10:30 they’re out here. Never during the day. Nobody ever sees them during the day,” Read said.

The FBI acknowledged it has received reports of clusters of drones and a possible fixed-wing aircraft. The FBI’s Newark field office said that it is working with other law enforcement agencies to figure out what’s going on.

“We understand the concern, and we are doing all we can to figure out what’s going on. We truly don’t have much information to provide at the moment,” a spokesperson for the FBI’s Newark field office said Wednesday.

Anyone with information related to the drone sightings is asked to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit it online at tips.fbi.gov.

PIX11 News reporter Katie Corrado contributed to this report.