Watch CBS News

Doctor: Getting Injured On Beach Vacation Pretty Common

Follow CBSPHILLY Facebook  | Twitter

PHILADELPHIA CBS) -- A woman from London is recovering after she was impaled by a beach umbrella at the Jersey Shore. Her injury has a lot of people talking and thinking about other common hazards on vacations

Maybe not a daily occurrence, but lifeguards will tell you, flying beach umbrellas are a common hazard at the shore.

"You'll see an umbrella cartwheeling down the beach, someone chasing after it. If we can get to it, we do, but they can sneak up on you and really do some damage," said Lt. David Funk with the Ventnor City Beach Patrol.

Woman Impaled By Beach Umbrella In Freak Accident At Jersey Shore

Monday afternoon a woman from London on vacation in Seaside Heights was actually impaled through the leg by a flying umbrella.

"The biggest thing is 'hey is it too windy to put this umbrella up today?' Try it and if it's not looking too good then just don't put it up," said Funk.

Medical professionals at the shore consider getting impaled an extremely rare injury but a real risk on windy days.

"We haven't had an umbrella injury like that but we have had people who have had eye injuries from the umbrella coming up from the sand and hitting them in the face," said Dr. Thomas Brabson with AtlantiCare.

Brabson, the chairman of emergency services at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, says getting injured on a beach vacation is pretty common. Shore towns are packed with people, many of whom are familiar with the nuances of their new setting. The ER gets lots of foot injuries from people cutting their feet on rocks and shells, or even getting second-degree burns from walking on hot sand with bare feet.

But the number one hazard is heat.

"A lot of people will not realize that they're out in the sun for a long time, it's very hot and humid. They don't drink enough fluid so they become dehydrated, the start to experience some heat exhaustion," said Brabson.

 

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.