Officials: Asbury Park lifeguard impaled in arm by beach umbrella
The incident happened around 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday as the lifeguard was setting up her stand.
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The Asbury Park beach safety supervisor says one of his lifeguards is recovering after a beach umbrella pierced through her arm while she was trying to mount it on her lifeguard stand.
The incident happened around 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
“As she lifted it up to put it in the hole that’s in the bench there, a gust of wind caught it and pulled her backward a little bit,” says supervisor Joe Bongiovanni. “She tried to re-grab it, lost her balance and fell over backwards, as she fell over backward, the umbrella came down and impaled her arm."
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Fire Chief Kevin Keddy told News 12 that first responders used a battery-powered band saw to cut down the roughly 6-foot pole on both ends so the woman could be transported to the hospital. The saw was chosen to reduce vibration during the cutting, according to Keddy.
“She was conscious and alert through the entire ordeal,” Keddy said.
Bongiovanni says this isn’t the first time he has seen something like this happen. He says there are some things people can do to protect themselves from beach umbrellas.
Bongiovanni says that beachgoers should get one with a thick shaft that is built for the beach atmosphere, get something to screw the umbrella into the sand or use sandbags to make sure it is secure. He also advises tilting the umbrella into the wind.
He says that if someone else is harmed by your umbrella, you will be held responsible.
Asbury Park beach staff members will help beachgoers set up the umbrellas available for purchase at the beach.
