Woman Impaled in Leg by Umbrella While Sunbathing with Family on Florida Beach, Police Say

A woman was injured after being impaled by an umbrella while sunbathing on a beach in Florida. 

A spokesperson for the Cocoa Beach Police Department told Fox News Digital and NBC affiliate WESH that the rental umbrella became lodged in the woman’s leg while she and her family were sitting on Cocoa Beach.

The umbrella continued to move after becoming lodged in the woman’s leg, so bolt-cutters were used to separate the canopy from the pole, the spokesperson said.

Additional details about the incident, including how the umbrella became dislodged from its original position, were not immediately available.

The CBPD spokesperson said the Cocoa Beach Fire Department and Brevard County Fire Rescue handled the medical call, per Fox News Digital.

The woman’s condition has not been publicly released. None of the departments immediately responded to PEOPLE’s requests for comment.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says about 3,000 people are hospitalized each year due to beach umbrella-related incidents, according to WJXT.

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In June 2023, two people were injured by umbrellas when a waterspout came ashore at Clearwater Beach, sending debris of all sizes — including umbrellas — flying through the air.

The year prior, a 63-year-old South Carolina woman was fatally injured when she was impaled by an umbrella while visiting a Horry County beach. She later died at a hospital from chest trauma.

A new voluntary safety standard released from the American Society of Testing and Materials recommends anchoring umbrellas with “at least 75 lbs.” of resistance “or must remain secure in wind speeds of up to 30 mph,” according to a CPSC safety alert published in May.

The new safety standard was put in place to help “minimize the hazard from airborne beach umbrellas,” which have caused “lacerations, impalements and even death.”

In any event, the ASTM suggests umbrella users “immediately close the canopy if the umbrella becomes unstable in windy conditions,” per the bulletin.